The Girl with a Demon Butler
by Shenhua the Knife Lady
Summary: He's coming. Lily's horror and heartbreak over Peter's betrayal and desperation to protect her daughter Fem!Harry gave her the ability to summon Sebastian. She made a deal to ensure her daughter's life and happy childhood, and she put an end to the Dark Lord herself, thus screwing with the Prophecy to protect her daughter from fate at work. The price for her wishes? Her soul.
1. A Mother's Desperation

A Mother's Desperation and Rearing Challenges

Halloween, Year 1981...

'Lily! It's him! He's here!' James cried as the Fidelius was falling apart. 'We've been betrayed! I'll hold him off, get Kahlua out of here!' Lily scampered upstairs to the Nursery where her daughter is, sleeping peacefully.

'I can't believe Peter betrayed us all...we trusted him!' she sobbed as she quickly wrote down her will, which she made sure is in her sleeves as she prayed hard for hope, for a sign that someone or something will save her daughter even if it meant selling her soul for it.

**So it's a young woman this time...** she heard a voice as a shadow materialized before her. **My last master was a brat.** was the annoyed grumble. **You willingly turned your back on the light and that's enough for us to come out. So what is your desire?**

'I won't have long left to live.' said Lily quickly. 'I want you to take my daughter away, and raise her to be a good kind girl and a girl worthy of the title Lady Potter of the Most Ancient Noble House of Potter. We are a family of Magic from a prestigious house but after someone we thought was our friend betrayed us, she'll be the last Potter left! Raise and protect her, make her strong and fulfill her wishes! That's all I ask!'

**You know the price...your soul...** said the shadow. **To fulfill this contract, you must give me a name, and state where you want to put our contract seal.**

'Ehhh I'm no good with men's names...what's your name that you used when you worked for your former master?' Lily stammered out. 'You can use that! And my contract seal...on my forehead. I'll be dead soon anyway so I don't care!'

**...very well.** a pale hand with claw-like black fingernails appeared and smacked into her forehead. The application of the seal caused Lily great pain.

xxx

Years later...

Sebastian Michaelis, the demon Lily Potter summoned had one heck of a time raising a baby girl. First, he had gone off to Gringotts Bank, and the goblins, terrified of him upon sensing WHAT he is, knew of the truth. Sebastian ensured the Potter Fortune goes to Kahlua Potter, and gave the goblins Lily Potter's will to publicize. Sebastian added that she made 'safety measures' for Kahlua's safety and she's hidden by 'an old friend' and will only show up when she goes to Hogwarts.

That will saved Sirius Black from prison and was let out two days after he was tossed in without a trial, and a hunt for Peter Pettigrew began. No male rat in Britain was safe after that. Sebastian then searched for a house worthy of raising an 'ideal girl' Lily wanted her daughter to be. He knew upon consuming the woman. Not that he'd tell Kahlua that, it'll make his job harder. After all, he's stuck to her until she's 21. He found the old rundown Phantomhive Estate, now a spooky haunted house. He checked to see if anybody who knew of Phantomhive still lives. After all, it's been a hundred years since.

Nobody's surviving and the Midford Family of this generation no longer has a connection to the Phantomhives nor were they aware of this estate. Sure he can clean it himself, but he needs to run it by the goblins to make it Potter Property. No longer belonging to the Phantomhives just to be double sure. It cost some sum, and then he fixed the mansion to be elegant and sophisticated-looking. He also stole expensive, luxurious furniture, appliances and electronics. He also went to recruiting other servants who also doubles as the house's private army. He recruited young boys and girls who were ten years older than Kahlua with the most potential off their troubling backgrounds and an elderly nanny to care for and wean her until she's six years old as he has no clue how to raise babies. After that, her job will permanently change into that of a cook's. Sebastian trained five girls and five boys physically, martial arts, marksmanship, weapons and of course, their cover jobs and general education. The girls are maids, and the boys were gardeners and handymen err boys. They also double as well-trained killers trained not only against humans, but also the supernatural. They were trained as Anti-Wizard Killers who can easily kill wizards and witches in one shot. After a six-year education, Sebastian told them to keep training after doing their 'cover duties'. And their salary was 320 pounds a month...as long as they do their jobs good. 320 was too big a pay for maids and gardeners, but they're no ordinary sort, and the elderly nanny who's the only normal one in the house knew that well. Her pay was 200 pounds and in the event that she reaches retirement age ten years from now, she would be given a bonus of 2000.

When little Kahlua was six...education began that Sebastian took over.

"The nanny did a good job." he thought as little Kahlua was a good, kind girl although a bit shy. She could speak straight with no baby-talk, and knows how to write and read.

'Um, are you my teacher?' Kahlua asked him shyly. 'Grandma says my teacher's coming on my sixth birthday.'

'Yes, young miss.' Sebastian smiled pleasantly. 'I am Sebastian Michaelis, your tutor and butler.'

And so, Sebastian began teaching her language, starting with English, Good Manners and Right Conduct, and Etiquette befitting of a noble princess...just without some undesirable qualities. He also started her physical training, and ensuring she gets along well with her other servants to reinforce loyalty to her.

Next year was learning about the ways of Magical British Nobles, knowing about the prominent and known families in Magical Britain(as well as what kind od people they are), Latin, Ministry of Magic and it's structure, Known Magical Places in Britain, History, Mathematics, Arts, Literature, and Music and Dance with still more physical training, until age eight. She also knows what happened to her family.

At age nine, she is learning fencing, marksmanship, martial arts, and ways to kill, as well as strengthening her magic, and flying skills on a broom. By age ten, she is learning what first years usually learn so she's a year ahead in knowledge. Sebastian also made it a point to tutor her well until she reaches 11 years old. In her years, she got along well with her servants. Despite her education, she was ensured a happy childhood as Sebastian made the lessons look like fun games. And children like games and like excelling in them well. It was a job well done, and Kahlua was a reasonable mistress who only orders him when she really couldn't do some things. Otherwise, she does things on her own. Every summer, she has textbook knowledge of Dark Magic and Dark Potions, as well as ways of countering them. Granted, she never practiced Dark Magic, just the ways to counter them until she's proficient. Dark Magic stains the heart and soul with evil and Sebastian has orders after all. The counter doesn't stain. Sebastian also lets Kahlua enjoy anime shows since they were more...educational than western cartoons. They watched Dragonball Z, and Ranma 1/2. Sebastian was impressed that they could come up with ways of fighting, yet not practice it...? They and the servants benefitted as well and trained harder.

July 31st came...her Hogwarts Letter came by owl. Kahlua was about to reach for it but Sebastian snatched it in mid-air. 'Wha?!'

'A precaution, young miss.' said Sebastian. 'As you know, you are famous in our world. Anything sent to you may contain portkeys for a quick kidnap, poison, or curses to kill. Please take note of this from now on. Mail can be intercepted just to plant them in.'

'Surely it can't be that bad?'

'It can be. I haven't gotten to teach you that yet due to lack of time.' said Sebastian. 'Jinxed and Portkey letters are common back in the old days. Especially when wizards or witches have grudges against each other.'

'Oh...I just wish we had more time but I'm expected to show up this year. So annoying.' Kahlua complained gloomily as Sebastian checked the mail for anything, before opening it. But one magic in it destroyed.

'One trace magic to our location.' he said. 'Had you taken ahold of it, they'll know where we are.' Kahlua twitched at this.

'Have they heard the word 'privacy' exists?'

'Apparently not.' Sebastian sniffed. 'Nonetheless, it's destroyed. We can safely go shopping now. We'll get ready to leave in thirty minutes.'

'Right...'

xxx

In a limo, they drove for Charring Cross Road, parking their car by a parking lot, before going to the seedy area where the Leaky Cauldron is hidden. On the way, due to the way they dressed, there were mugging attempts, only for the pair to break a few bones off.

'And they thought this place is safe to hide the entrance? What retards.' Kahlua grumbled.

'Your kind isn't exactly known for common sense...something your father gained upon marrying your mother.' said Sebastian. 'Magic...wizards and witches got so lazy, they justify everything with magic, and day by day, common sense and logic deteriorates. Had you lived with your godfather instead of with me as your mother wished, you'd be one of them by now.'

'Speaking of him, how is he? I never heard of him since you publicized my family's will, and he got out of prison.' said Kahlua.

'I told him that if he wanted to see you, he must be strong first.' said Sebastian. 'Your family and those associated with your parents are number one targets. I gave him the training menu he must do. If he really wants to see you, he must be at the level I expect him to be at because he has 11 years to work to gain the strength we have and skill. The late madam insists on it for your safeties.'

'Well, I hardly know the man anyway so I have no attachments whatsoever. I leave it to you to judge. He made a mistake once and if he makes a second time, all I can say is sorry but he's not welcome here.' Kahlua shrugged. 'Strangers who are poor judge of characters can't just worm their way in afterall.' There's no way Kahlua would forget, that Sirius trusted the wrong person and that cost her, her parents. In some way, she resented him. Her father was murdered, her mother became a martyr who died a gruesome death just so she could take Voldemort with her and blew up their bodies just so he wouldn't escape. Since then, Wizarding Britain made the Lily Flowers their national flower for she ended Britain's misery...and the ouch part? The Pureblood Supremacist died in the hands of a Muggle-born! Rita Skeeter milked that real good as an irony and surprisingly, she's still alive to this day.

As far as Wizarding Britain knew, the Potters had a Secret Test of Character on the day they made that switch. They trusted Sirius who was insistent that they switch with Peter Pettigrew while he uses himself as bait to lure them away and nobody would suspect Peter because he's so weak and who'd trust him with something so important? Once Peter came and made the switch, they had made a 'dummy baby', allowing Peter to see the fake baby Kahlua when in reality, the real Kahlua was in Sebastian Michaelis' hands, an old muggle friend of Lily's in her Muggle Elementary days who was at the time, studying in College. When they 'were sold', Sebastian knew to alert authorities before Sirius gets wrongly-arrested, and hide Kahlua until she's old enough for Hogwarts. Sebastian went as far as having an interview with the Daily Prophet in private just so he and baby Kahlua at the time will not get mobbed upon leaving.

That was the lie Sebastian made with the Goblins' help who were happy(and scared for their lives) to cooperate, rather than piss him off.

Nobody knew the truth, really. Many in the Wizarding World wished they hadn't done that as poor Kahlua got orphaned. Since then, Sirius passed a law about compulsory registration of animaguses who would show the Wizengamot their forms, and publicize it. Their animal forms reflect what kind of person they are and he used himself as an example. Because Peter was a Rat, everyone knows by now not to trust anyone whose animal forms were associated with the word 'traitor' and 'backstabber'. He passed a well-worded bill that soon became a new law after fighting for it, and paid Cornelius Fudge quite the gold to get it through.

'Indeed.'

His young miss learns well.

xxx

Diagon Alley...

Sebastian pressed the right bricks with a finger and they made their way through, and they headed for Gringotts.

'Y-yes, Mr. Michaelis?' the goblin teller meeped as Sebastian smiled charmingly. Kahlua wondered what her butler/guardian did to spook the little guy into stammering. It was kind of funny.

'The young miss will withdraw from her vault.' said Sebastian as he showed the goblin the key.

'GRIPHOOK!' the teller yelled as another goblin appeared quickly. 'Take Mr. Michaelis and Ms. Potter to the Trust Fund.'

'T-this way sir, miss.' said Griphook as he led them away. Kahlua noted that instead of hallways, he led them to tunnels that had tracks and a mine cart...with comfy seats.

'Wow...you mean we're riding?' Kahlua marveled in amazement and impression as they got on.

'Yes. Because the vaults are waaay down below.' Sebastian explained. 'One cannot get there by walking and this also helps discourage thieves as the carts are goblin-operated only. The lower the floors, the higher security.'

'Ohhhh...' and soon, they rode away much to Kahlua's delight, and wanting to go faster. Upon arrival at Vault 687 which was Kahlua's Trust Fund...

'Young miss, take out 700 of Galleons, Sickles and Knuts.' Sebastian advised. 'Some of the things we'll get will be expensive, especially a Trunk to store your belongings in for Hogwarts.' he said. 'And back in the old days, your parents paid for seven years' worth of Tuition in advance so you no longer need to worry.'

'How much is all that in Pounds?' Kahlua asked him warily as she had a baaad feeling...

'Well, 700 Galleons is 3451 pounds, 700 Sickles is 203 pounds and 700 Knuts is 70 pounds, a total of 3724 pounds.' came the answer. Kahlua's jaws dropped in disbelief as she gasped at the huge amount of money. Say what?!

'Wizarding goods is THAT expensive?!' she squawked incredulously.

'I'm afraid so.' said Sebastian. 'That's why it's better safe than sorry. Prices probably changed since the war ended, we can never know.' Kahlua sighed rather tiredly.

'Even if I'm wealthy, just hearing how much things cost makes my skin crawl.' she lamented with a shiver as she took out a belt that has three Mokeskin pouches for Galleons, Sickles and Knuts respectively.

'That's good to hear as you're not like your fellow wealthy peers who'll throw money around to show off how wealthy they are till they drive themselves bankrupt in a bid to flaunt.' Sebastian snorted. 'Spend wisely as the Trust Vault is to last us until you've graduated Hogwarts. Until then, you cannot access the Main Family Vault.'

'I know.'

xxx

Once outside...

'Hey Sebastian, how come the goblins are spooked stiff when they saw you?' Kahlua asked him curiously. Sebastian looked rather amused as if he recalled an old joke.

'Well, let's just say I went to great lengths to spook them into doing what Madam Lily wanted. I think I traumatised them real good.'

'Wow...you're amazing.' Kahlua whistled.

'Well just remember, the public knows I'm muggle, OK?'

'Un.' And so, shopping ensued. They first went to buy a trunk. Kahlua wanted a multi-compartment trunk that allows her to put many things in separately, and she chose a trunk that looks simple, yet elegant-looking and 'box-like' in ivory and ebony wood with silver keyholes. What came next, is clothes in Madam Malkin's.

'Hogwarts, dears?' Madam Malkin, the kind-looking plump witch asked them as she turned around and gasped. 'You! You're the Sebastian Michaelis!' she exclaimed as her eyes then fell on the young girl with him. 'And...Kahlua Potter!' she choked upon seeing the young girl dressed in a seifuku dress with a baby blue collar with yellow trimming, and royal blue neckerchief as well as white tights and black, heeled mary janes.

'Yes.' said Sebastian rather impatiently in a polite manner and sounding. 'About the uniforms, is any material OK as long as the uniform cosmetics are the same?'

'Yes sir, although some don't know that.' Madam Malkin shrugged, 'They never asked.'

'I see. Well, I want the finest silks for my young charge here as well as the brightly colored kind. She's starting her First Year.'

'Yes sir, it can be accomodated.' said Madam Malkins.

'Well, I'll leave you here as I'll have to shop for everything else.' Sebastian told Kahlua. 'Wait for me here.'

'OK!' and Sebastian left with the money and the trunk.

'Where are you all these years, dear? Sirius Black is in a tizzy looking for you!' said Madam Malkin as she led him to the back, where there's another boy being outfitted. He was a slender boy with sleek white-blond hair, cold grey eyes, a pale complexion and rather sharp, pointed features. He was standing on  
a footstool while a second witch pinned up his long black robes. Madam Malkin stood Kahlua on a stool next to him and slipped a long robe over her head, and began to pin it to the right length.

'Hello,' said the boy, 'Hogwarts, too?'

'Yes,' said Kahlua.

'My father's next door buying my books and mother's up the street looking at wands,' said the boy. He had a bored, drawling voice as he took on the appearance of the girl next to him. She is fairly cute-attractive with smooth, fairly-pale skin with angular eyebrows, bright-green eyes, small nose and thin, rosy lips. He was wondering what family she's from to be that attractive. 'Then I'm going to drag them off to took at racing brooms. I don't see why first years can't have their own. I think I'll bully father into getting me one and I'll smuggle it in somehow.'

Kahlua looked amused. Didn't they say First Years can't have brooms?

'Have you got your own broom?' the boy went on.

'Yes, but it's at home though.' said Kahlua. 'Because us First Years aren't allowed to bring one. It's a Nimbus 2000.' she said as the boy gaped. 'I practiced flying at home since I wanted to be on the Quidditch Team next year and basic requirement is good at flying right?'

'Really? Damn, I never even touched a 2000 and yet you got one?!' the boy moaned at the unfairness of it all. 'And you got to fly around your house when my mother won't let me even a foot off the ground!'

'I can see why judging by how you talk.' said Kahlua in amusement, much to his indignancy. 'Your attitude alone screams 'I'm adventurous and king of the Wronski Feints!'' the boy did a double-take. 'Maybe if you prove yourself responsible enough not to be reckless, maybe she'll allow you to own a broom and fly at home.' she said. 'Your mother is naturally worried, that's all.'

'But I'll be fine!'

'That's up to her I'm afraid whether you like it or not, so prove yourself responsible and sensible because if you fall off after she gave you one chance, game over. She'll hide your broom till doomsday. Your father might let you but she won't. As they say, men win battles but women win wars.' Kahlua giggled. 'Try it out.' the two eavesdropping witches who were doing their jobs could not help but smile secretly in agreement. Afterall, it's a **woman **who ENDED the war.

'Maybe I will, I really want to fly at home.' the boy grumbled in his drawl. 'So what house do you think you'll be in?' he asked. 'I know I'll be in Slytherin. All my family have been so naturally, I'll go there.'

'Slytherin...I've heard of the house. They say students who go there are mostly Purebloods who are ambitious, shrewd, cunning, strong leaders, and achievement-oriented, as well as cleverness, resourcefulness, and determination. Nice qualities to have in a person. It's just too bad it gained a rather nasty reputation just because of a band of murderers who came from the same house as alumni.' Kahlua shook her head, not noticing that her 'friend' winced. 'I heard that since then, students who go to Slytherin are labelled as instant 'Death Eaters in Training' and instantly hated and untrusted by everybody. Are you prepared for that if you DO get into Slytherin?' she asked him worriedly with a slight frown. 'If you're alone, who knows what trouble you'll get into just because you're a Slytherin with 3/4 of the school against you.' the boy looked like he swallowed a bitter pill. 'You'll have a hard school life because we live there until summer you know. One day, you'll snap and become a self-fulfilling prophecy out of anger and spite from all the impending mistreatment and bad stares.' the boy looked rather deeply troubled now.

'I...I don't know...'

'You have till September 1 to consider. Because that's what you're signing up for if you get into that House. And you seem like a good kid, even if a bit...reckless and overconfident.' said Kahlua. 'Me? I guess that's up to the hat. All houses are good to me.'

'You're done now dear.' Madam Malkin told Kahlua. 'Mr. Michaelis arrived ten minutes ago so you're good to go. Wait in the shop until I make your uniforms.'

'OK!' Kahlua got off the stool.

'Hey, what's your name?' Kahlua turned to look at him.

'Me? I'm Kahlua Potter!' and she skipped away, leaving the boy to gape incredulously at her with wide eyes.

xxx

'I'm back with everything, young miss.' said Sebastian. 'All we need now is a wand.'

'Goody, they said they'll get my uniform in a jiffy.' Kahlua chirped as she clapped her hands once. 'And I want to see wizarding silk and see if it's different from muggle silks.'

'Well, we'll soon know.' said Sebastian as they waited. Soon, a couple in the form of a man who has white-blonde hair with pointed features and a tall woman with patrician beauty came in, and a house elf in tow carrying a trunk. Soon, the boy Kahlua talked to came out as well and greeted his parents. Soon, Madam Malkin was done with their uniforms, and handed out baby pink and blue bags respectively to both parties.

'Here you go kids, and have a good year!' Madam Malkin beamed as she went to the cashier after getting her pay of 140 Galleons...because both parties paid for the finest and brightest-colored silks.

'Hey Potter,' said the boy, startling his parents at WHO exactly he addressed. 'You never gave me the chance to introduce myself since you skipped off.'

'Oh, sorry, because I need to double-check the things we bought.' Kahlua smiled her way out of that lie and Sebastian held back from snorting, 'I live very far from here and one trip is troublesome as it is, I don't want to go back again.'

'Oh. Well, I'm Draco Malfoy.' said Draco, holding his hand out for a handshake. 'I'll be considering...your advice this summer.'

'It's up to you entirely. It's your life afterall.' Kahlua then bade him goodbye cheerfully.

'So that's the elusive Kahlua Potter.' said Malfoy Sr. 'And she seems to like you just fine. We'd like to hear more of this at home.'


	2. This Flower, On to Hogwarts

This Flower, on to Hogwarts

Upon leaving Madam Malkins'...

'Young miss, I'm surprised you talked to a Malfoy, given their history.' Sebastian remarked thoughtfully.

'Well, he's still a kid. He is not his parents.' said Kahlua. 'With a little tweaking, I may change his fate. As he is now, if not for the mostly quidditch talk, he'll be a parrot and a copy of his parents, unable to form his own opinions. He still has hope in there but that's up to him.'

'I see. I have a feeling you'll pull an Eris in school.' Kahlua mock-gasped dramatically with a 'who, me?' expression, complete with a hand on her chest. 'You'll stir up a cauldron of trouble.'

'Moi? You wound me my dear guardian!' Kahlua laughed in amusement. 'I call it...fun! It's high time I start!' she giggled as she took his hand and happily dragged him to the wand shop but before she could step in, Sebastian saw a familiar face, stopped, grabbed her by the shoulders and put her out. 'Wha?!'

'There are some things I need to talk to with this person in private.' Sebastian told her. 'Wait a bit until I say it's OK?'

'Uh sure...I'll be at the Ice Cream Parlor!' Kahlua told him as she walked away. Sebastian made sure she went there before going on and took a deep breath.

'What on earth are you doing here, Undertaker?' Sebastian asked him wryly. 'Or should it be Wand-Maker now?' Undertaker chuckled.

'Nice to see you again although why is it everytime I see you, you're always with children?' he wondered while chuckling. 'Earl Ciel Phantomhive is one thing and now Lady Kahlua Potter.'

'It's not exactly my choice in the matter in whoever my client is.' said Sebastian wryly. 'Granted, the young master summoned me but as for my next client, it was a person who asked me to protect and raise Kahlua until she's an adult to be released from my contract. Due to this, she is my mistress.'

'I see. Does she know?'

'My orders are to not let her know.' said Sebastian. 'She is to have the ideal happy childhood with nothing to worry about and I'm to do all means to achieve it until she's 21.'

'Ah...the things parents go to lengths for, for their child then?'

'Yes. I still have yet to understand why humans like sacrifices as a way to get things done, when there's always another way.' Sebastian snorted. 'They like Martyrdom too much.'

'Indeed. Well, we're both old and wise to know that and everyone around us are mere children in our eyes.' said Undertaker. 'So how is it with that missy?'

'Well, she's the ideal little princess without the haughty, arrogant, spoiled, selfish, and etc qualities.' Sebastian chuckled as she glanced outside. 'She's shy at first to adult strangers but once she gets used to you, she's a good, cheerful girl who works hard to earn things and skills she wants. Compared to the late earl, she's the sun in contrast to him.'

'Aye...'

'So why are you a wand-maker now?'

'Well, Ollivander went on a Holiday to look for more wand cores and wood.' said Undertaker. 'And my parlor's not doing well and I'm bored.' Sebastian sweatdropped. 'So I'm not exactly a wand-maker, I'm a part-timer salesman.'

'...whatever. I'll call her in now. Keep certain things secret.' Sebastian then left to get Kahlua.

'Heeheehee...years of child-rearing certainly got you attached, demon.' Undertaker chuckled. 'I can see it...perhaps, there's hope after all.' he said as he noted the other man's expression as he brought in Kahlua. 'Yep, there's hope.' and they got in. 'Hello dearie...' Undertaker cooed as the girl meeped and hid behind Sebastian. 'Now now, don't be shy sweetheart...'

'You're not helping matters, idiot.' Sebastian deadpanned. 'Can't you sound _normal_ for a change?'

'Oh, I've been this way for years, Sebby.' Undertaker purred heartily as he got behind Sebastian and took Kahlua by hand. She squeaked with a dark blush.

'And don't traumatise my charge!'

'I won't, I won't, don't get tied by your tie Sebby.' Undertaker smirked as he took out a tape measure. 'Wand arm dear?'

'Erm both?' said Kahlua nervously as some magic forced her arms to go 'arms forward'.

'Ambidextrous eh? You'll be a tough customer but that's more fun~!' the rolled-up tape measure sprung to life from his hands and started measuring her arms. It soon jumped back to Undertaker who disappeared into the shop to get looking for something.

Soon, he came back with a wand. 'Here you go. Black Laurel and Dragon Heartstring, 7 inches. Give it a wave.' Kahlua took the wand from him and it let out black sparks. 'Yep, it wants you...that'll be eight Galleons, hunny.'

xxx

With their shopping trip over, the pair went home, happy that it's over. And there's two weeks before September 1, so...training's a first. With Kahlua's proficient knowledge of Latin and understanding of Charms, she submitted a letter to the MoM as she invented a new spell better than Lumos and Lumos Maxima. She received a summons for her presentation and patented her spell, Lux Globo. She created a ball of light the size of a disco ball, with the power of ten fluorescent lights combined. It can even be made plural to make more Light Balls and the more magic put in it, the more balls until the whole room was white with light. Once's magic and stamina is the limit regarding the creation of many magic light balls. The plus? Not only lighting up dark places, the spell also allows the caster a free wand to use magic even while Lux Globo/s is on, while controlling the ball at the same time where you want the light at. The time limit before the spell expires however, depends on how much power the caster put in it. One can also control the size and light power the spell can project as the disco-sized ball she made was the maximum size and power output that also will safely NOT blind anybody to 'flash lights'. Regarding Lux Globos, they can also control how many balls they want to make and their power levels. Effective for driving away creatures who dislike light to boot.

She was appraised for her ability and now the spell would soon hit the papers and later, the books. She got paid 1000 Galleons for inventing a convenient light-based charm after swearing a magical oath that Lux Globos is her first spell creation and she did not steal anyone's ideas. Due to the fact that she's still alive, she speaks the truth.

However, Lux Globo/s turned to be a very advanced lighting charm as for even some adults, creating it is difficult, and labelled a 6-7th year level spell in Hogwarts. Yet it's creator Kahlua Potter could create it with such ease speaks volumes of training before presenting her creation that now deemed the Lumos variants an outdated spell quickly becoming unpopular due to the inconvenience it indeed, presented. However, when questioned as how she could do magic despite the Underage Magic Law, she said that she lives _far away_ from Muggle Cities and Towns wherein the law applies that will alert the Ministry. Since she can happily practice magic without getting flak from the Improper Use of Magic Office, it proved her theory that she can use magic without getting detected even if her wand has an Underage Trace as long as she is very far from Muggle Settlements that was under the influence of the Ministry's IUoM. It also helps that no muggles see either so she could experiment and make as she pleased. With this loophole out, nobody could really argue after some debate. After all, no unwanted witnesses.

Back to physical training and magical methods of subtle kidnapping, attacks, and assassinations. Then Sebastian was gone for about, three days before school started.

'Hey, where did you go for three days?' Kahlua asked him curiously as he double-checked on things she packed. Her clothes, uniforms, books and Potions Equipment as well as writing materials and a ruler(for measuring the inches needed for homework). However, they did not buy quills-they bought Fountain Pens and refilling set. Seriously, bird feathers in this era? No way.

'Oh, just arranged a few things, is all.' Sebastian told her as he patted her head. 'Now then, everything's all set, we're ready to go after breakfast. The train leaves at 11:30. I had Mrs. Perkins make you a packed lunch if you went hungry at the train.'

'Really? Thanks!' Kahlua chirped as she glomped her butler. 'I heard they only sell candy, not food on the train!' she grumbled with a frown. 'Talk about idiots!'

'Like I said, your kind is losing their common sense.' Sebastian chuckled as he knelt down to be at her eye level and put a hand on her shoulder. 'Take care not to lose it while surrounded by idiots.'

'I won't!' Kahlua pouted. 'I'd lose faith in humanity more if I lost mine!' Sebastian laughed heartily when they felt supernatural presence approaching...and it's something Sebastian recognized and swore under his breath.

'Young miss, I need to take care of some unwelcome idiots.' said Sebastian. 'As you are now, they are beyond your paygrade.' Kahlua pouted before Sebastian left by window.

'...wonder who they are and are their skills beyond mine?' she wondered aloud. How can that be, she trained hard! She used her magic sight to see from her window what was going on, and Sebastian is fighting...a red-haired man in a suit with a chainsaw, and high heels! And by the looks of things...she giggled before sighing in dismay that they're too fast for her to follow. The guy has the hots for her guardian and said guardian wanted none of it, and bent on kicking his ass.

"Maybe I'll help a little." with a flick of her finger, the red man's pants fell off and he tripped, and landed in an ungraceful heap, head first. She giggled as Sebastian looked back right at her, making her giggle harder. Then Sebastian got ready to kick hard and kick he did upwards like the red man was a ball until he was a mere star in the sky. Soon, Sebastian was back.

'That was a bit...underhanded, young miss.' he said with amusement showing in his eyes.

'Come on, I want to play.' Kahlua chuckled. 'It was funny too but I never dreamed that he wore boxers with your face all over it...what a weirdo.' Sebastian twitched. All the more reason why he didn't want HIM around. Damn Undertaker for giving him his address! 'But still, he'll be a guest in the near future...how will you handle that?'

'I'll just kick him again till he's a star in the sky.'

'Ohhh to be a fly on the wall...' Kahlua sighed rather enviously. 'I want to see that level of fight to learn more but not anywhere near the house, OK?'

'I'll see to pest control then.' Sebastian curtsied. The order was, do it anywhere but here.

'What is that guy anyway? He has sharp teeth...creature inheritance?' she asked him as they went down for breakfast, before Kahlua would get ready for getting dressed.

'No, he sharpened them to look like that.'

'Geh?! Won't that hurt a lot?!'

'...he's a masochist.'

'Ew!'

xxx

That day's breakfast was fish fillet with steamed vegetables, and egg drop soup. For drinks, it was iced, lemon tea. made even colder by magic. After that, she took a shower, and got dressed. Her outfit for the day befitted that of a witch. A black cape with yellow trim, and a figure-hugging white dress with lower arm bell sleeves. Around her waist is a decorative silver belt Then ankle-length lace-up boots. On her hair is a simple white headband. 'Alrighty!' she then grabbed the trunk by the handle, tossed it up upon casting a float spell on it, dragged it with her and then jumped on it like a surfer would, descended down the stairs as if riding an invisible wave. Once downstairs, she got off and again, jumped off her trunk.

'It's that time then young miss?' one of her maids asked her.

'Yes. Time for dorm school Marielle.' said Kahlua. 'Funny, I've never been further than home until shopping and now this...I'm kind of nervous.' she said with a shiver. 'I never left this house for eleven years and now I will spent ten months of the year in some haunted castle in Scotland with people who lack common sense. I certainly hope I'll keep it until I get home again.'

'Surely it cannot be that bad?'

'My kind are lazy and justify everything with magic without once, bothering to work their brains through logic. Magic may be a wonderful power but in the wrong hands...it does a lot of harm more than good. Stupidity is the first fruit. I wish I go home sane by the end of the year.' the maid was speechless as Sebastian appeared.

'It is time, young miss.' he said.

'Let's go, off to the Mental Chopping Block!' Kahlua said cheerily as they left the estate.

'Young miss, that is NOT something to look forward to.' said Sebastian in exasperation.

'I know I know but I call it how I see it!' Kahlua stuck her tongue at him, causing Sebastian to roll his eyes.

'Oh, how mature.' came the sarcastic retort.

'Well, I'm a kid and I'm enjoying it...Sebby.'

xxx

King's Cross Station...upon arrival, they turned themselves invisible due to their questionable outfits of choice. Kahlua looked like she'll go to a costume party if any muggle saw her and Sebastian's butler uniform of choice belonged a hundred years ago as butlers today wear suits. However...

'-packed with muggles of course...' the pair heard that as a family of redheads came by. One plump woman, and six children who are all pushing pushcarts with trunks, and a young girl walking with their mother.

'Really now, talking about that in a place like this? What about Statute of Secrecy?' Kahlua said wryly.

'But the matter of fact is...they're saying that aloud for us.' said Sebastian. 'Because everyone knows that you are raised by Sebastian the Muggle.'

'Oh, you're anything BUT Muggle.' Kahlua harrumphed with a scowl. 'This means they think we're _stupid_ like them! I'd sooner kiss a Dementor than stoop to this level!'

'Well, let's go to the platform at any rate. We don't need their insulting help.' said Sebastian as they walked into the barrier, ignoring the loud family. On the Platform, they removed their invisibility and mixed with the crowd.

'Well, here we are...the train ride to Hogwarts.' said Kahlua. 'Sebastian, about issues...you know how to deal with them right?' Sebastian smirked at this. Not long ago...last month in fact, there are indeed, some Phantomhive and Midford descendants who knew of the property the Potters bought and were trying to investigate the Potter Family who is just comprised of one adolescent girl, and 12 servants. They found nothing wrong of course, but they want to get to know the heiress who sadly has to go to dorm school all because she bought Phantomhive Property that's been unused for a century and some now. Kahlua and these people talked about it and she wormed her way in and out with her winning. After all, she's done things legal and they never cared anymore until now, so they really have no issues besides...curiosity.

'Indeed, young miss. They shall receive our best welcome if they press matters further.' "If they're anything like the families of a hundred years ago..." Being one who worked for the Phantomhives and occasionally, Midfords, he knew very well how their crazy minds worked.

'That property belongs to my family now thanks to you and there's no way I'm giving it back, so...have fun and try not make much of a mess.' Kahlua smiled. 'It's easy to mess but hard to clean.'

'But not for someone like me.'

'Heehee...' yes, his young miss might be a good, kind, shy hardworking girl but since he raised her well, she thinks like a snake. slithering around silently to her next meal until close enough to pounce in regards to people who annoyed or offended her just like how ol' Earl Phantomhive used to do. And that rarely happens yet clearly displayed when she had that chat. Good thing she knew many laws and loopholes regarding property ownership...maybe after this year, he'll have her learn Muggle Laws as well? 'Well, I'm off now and have fun!'

'Shouldn't _I_ be saying that?' Sebastian question wryly.

'How can I have fun when I'm going to a nuthouse, meanie!'

xxx

After his young miss went into the train, bidding him goodbye...

Sebastian knew he had quite a long ten months. Ten months of freedom from babysitting, but he also has to ensure the army stays in top shape and deal with some idiots. As usual. Maybe during this time he can send the elderly cook home because without the young miss to protect her incase of an attack on the mansion, she is not safe and the horrors would trigger a nasty heart attack. She will be back on school holidays and summer.

xxx

On the Train...

Kahlua looked for a nice place to sit. Particularly the very last compartment in the very last car, conveniently near the female loo. Here, she'd have peace and comfort. She is in no mood to deal with idiots.

Three hours later, she was reading some RG Veda Manga, translated in English of course. It as something new Sebastian bought for her and he translated Japanese into English because translators haven't yet in publishers.

Really, Japanese manga is a much more fun read. She also shut her cabin tight with an illusion spell on the translucent cabin glass that shows anyone who passes by four shadowy silhouettes as every cabin has four people in it, before it can be called 'full'. So now, she's quite peaceful. Until a knock on her door.

'Excuse me! Did anyone see a Toad in there?' came a rather bossy girl's voice.

'No amphibian here!'

'Oh.' and two shadows left. Kahlua wondered who on earth would own a TOAD? Sebastian bought her a blue-eyed, white kneazle with a cute pink nose, and a half-kneazle with a Ragdoll descent and green eyes. The white kneazle belonged to her and the other kneazle belonged to the house as it serves as a liar-detector and anything suspicious and untrustworthy. And...Sebastian LOVES cats! If any, that cat would mostly belong to Sebastian, given his fondness for felines.

In fact, besides said Kneazle, he owned a plethora of cats he adopted whenever he found them and Kahlua allowed him to, as long as he's a responsible owner to such a...menagerie. Grooming, cleaning up their mess, feeding, veterinary visits, etc, and training included. Of course, he's responsible rather than lose his precious babies! He never had the chance once and now he'll be milking it for all its' worth.

Some hours later by nightfall, they arrived and Kahlua could see Hogwarts from afar with her Magic Sight. She got dressed into her uniform. Upon seeing how baggy and figure-less it was, she asked Sebastian for help that he make her robes figure-hugging on the torso since it makes her look fat and she's anything but due to years of training. And send Madam Malkin a much better uniform design too that makes all of them look professional at least! The way they look now, they look like stereotypical kiddie wizards instead of students from a prestigious school!

That had been the reason why Sebastian was absent for three days, he had gone to Hogwarts to the witch in charge of the uniforms design and made it permanently sink in her head. That way, next years, uniforms will be professional-looking or he's not the Butler-From-Hell for nothing. Soon, a voice sounded all over the train.

We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be brought to Hogwarts Separately.

Kahlua's response to that, is to go to the bathroom and freshen up.

Upon arrival at Hogsmeade Station, a giant was shouting, 'Firs' Years over here!' he called out as all First years gathered around him. 'C'mon, any more firs' years?' he called out with a beam of his face. 'Mind yer' step now! Follow me!' they followed the man into a very pitch-black steep, narrow path that Kahlua cast her Lux Globo spell to light the pathways up. To wizarding children who knew of the famous Kahlua Potter who created that spell, knew she was among them. With the pathways safely lighted up as if it was day. Some kids were grateful as this place spooked them.

'Ye' all get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec,' the giant called over his shoulder, 'Jus' round this bend here.'

There was a loud 'Oooooh!'

The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black take. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.

'No more'n four to a boat!' the giant called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. Kahlua got into a boat and were followed by three other kids as she turned her spell off.

'Everyone in?' shouted the giant, who had a boat to himself. 'Right then-FORWARD!'

And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass. Everyone was silent, staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered over them as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood. 'Heads down!' yelled the giant as the first boats reached the cliff; they all bent their heads and the little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle, until they reached a kind of underground harbor, where they clambered out onto rocks and pebbles.

'Oy, you there! Is this your toad?' said the giant, who was checking the boats as people climbed out of them and found a toad.

'Trevor! cried a plump boy blissfully, holding out his hands. Then they clambered up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid's lamp, coming out at last onto smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle. They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, Oak front door.

'Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?' the giant then raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.


	3. The First Night

The First Night

The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face and Kahlua's first thought was that this was not someone to cross.

'The firs' years, Professor McGonagall,' said the giant.

'Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here.' Oh, so that's the giant's name, Hagrid. Professor McGonagall pulled the door wide. The entrance hall was so big she could have fit the whole of the Potter's Entrance Hall in it. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches like the ones at Gringotts, the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors. They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. They could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right-the rest of the school must already be here - but Professor McGonagall showed the first years into a small, empty chamber off the hall. They crowded in, standing rather closer together than they would usually have done, peering about nervously.

'Welcome to Hogwarts,' said Professor McGonagall. 'The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room.'

'The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rulebreaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.'

'The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting.'

Her eyes lingered for a moment on some students. 'I shall return when we are ready for you,' said Professor McGonagall. 'Please wait quietly.' She left the chamber. Frankly, everyone was wondering what's going on and how would they be sorted. Everyone else looked anxious and terrified. But not her. Afterall, she knew her parents' history and the sorting is VERY harmless. No one was talking much except for a bushy haired girl, who was whispering very fast about all the spells she'd learned and wondering which one she'd need.

Then something happened that made her jump about a foot in the air-because several people behind her screamed, startling the life out of her.

'What the-?' About twenty ghosts had just streamed through the back wall. Pearly-white and slightly transparent, they glided across the room talking to one another and hardly glancing at the first years. They seemed to be arguing. What looked like a fat little monk was saying: 'Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance-'

'My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not really even a ghost-I say, what are you all doing here?' A ghost wearing a ruff and tights had suddenly noticed the first years.

Nobody answered.

'New students!' said the Fat Friar, smiling around at them. 'About to be Sorted, I suppose?'

A few people nodded mutely.

'Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!' said the Friar. 'My old house, you know.' Well, Kahlua can guess who screamed-the Muggle-borns who were spooked about seeing ghosts, and freaked out unlike the half-bloods and purebloods.

'Move along now,' said a sharp voice. 'The Sorting Ceremony's about to start.' Professor McGonagall had returned. One by one, the ghosts floated away through the opposite wall.

'Now, form a line,' Professor McGonagall told the first years, 'And follow me.' everyone lined up into rows of four, and they walked out of the chamber, back across the hall, and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall. The hall was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting. Professor McGonagall led the first years up here, so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them.

The hundreds of faces staring at them looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight. Dotted here and there among the students, the ghosts shone misty silver. Mainly to avoid all the staring eyes, Kahlua looked upward and saw a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars. She heard the same bush-haired girl whisper, 'Its bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in Hogwarts, A History.' Great, a book parrot with no mind of her own. If she quotes from books with no opinion of her own whatsoever, she'll alienate herself soon and known as the 'book parrot' or something. She quickly looked down again as Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard's hat. This hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty. And they'll put a dusty thing on their heads?! What about the dust? The bugs or heaven forbid, cobwebs inside?! Don't they care for Hygiene at all as well as Sanitation?

Yep, no common sense at all. That seemed the sort of thing common here. And noticing that everyone in the hall was now staring at the hat, she stared at it, too. For a few seconds, there was complete silence. Then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth-and the hat began to sing:

Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,  
But don't judge on what you see,  
I'll eat myself if you can find  
A smarter hat than me.  
You can keep your bowlers black,  
Your top hats sleek and tall,  
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat  
And I can cap them all.  
There's nothing hidden in your head  
The Sorting Hat can't see,  
So try me on and I will tell you  
Where you ought to be.  
You might belong in Gryffindor,  
Where dwell the brave at heart,  
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry Set Gryffindors apart;  
You might belong in Hufflepuff,  
Where they are just and loyal,  
Those patient Hufflepuffis are true And unafraid of toil;  
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,  
if you've a ready mind,  
Where those of wit and learning,  
Will always find their kind;  
Or perhaps in Slytherin  
You'll make your real friends,  
Those cunning folk use any means  
To achieve their ends.  
So put me on! Don't be afraid!  
And don't get in a flap!  
You're in safe hands (though I have none)  
For I'm a Thinking Cap!

The whole hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song. Itbowed to each of the four tables and then became quite still again. 'So we've just got to try on the hat!' a red-haired boy swore with a growl. 'I'll kill Fred, he was going on about wrestling a troll.' and this one gullibly believed that? As if children will be allowed to wrestle Trolls!

Professor McGonagall now stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment. 'When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted,' she said. 'Abbott, Hannah!'

A pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of line, put on the hat, which fell right down over her eyes, and sat down. A moments pause-'HUFFLEPUFF!' shouted the hat. The table on the right cheered and clapped as Hannah went to sit down at the Hufflepuff table. Kahlua saw the ghost of the Fat Friar waving merrily at her.

'Bones, Susan!'

'HUFFLEPUFF!' shouted the hat again, and Susan scuttled off to sit next to Hannah.

'Boot, Terry!'

'RAVENCLAW!' The table second from the left clapped this time; several Ravenclaws stood up to shake hands with Terry as he joined them. 'Brocklehurst, Mandy' went to Ravenclaw too, but 'Brown, Lavender' became the first new Gryffindor, and the table on the far left exploded with cheers; Kahlua could see a pair of redhead twins catcalling. 'Bulstrode, Millicent' then became a Slytherin.

'Finch-Fletchley, Justin!'

'HUFFLEPUFF!' Sometimes, Kahlua noticed, the hat shouted out the house at once, but at others it took a little while to decide. 'Finnigan, Seamus,' the sandy-haired boy next to her in the line, sat on the stool for almost a whole minute before the hat declared him a Gryffindor.

'Granger, Hermione!' the bushy-haired girl almost ran to the stool and jammed the hat eagerly on her head.

'GRYFFINDOR!' shouted the hat. When Neville Longbottom, the boy who kept losing his toad, was called, he fell over on his way to the stool. The hat took a long time to decide with Neville. When it finally shouted, 'GRYFFINDOR,' Neville ran off still wearing it, and had to jog back amid gales of laughter to give it  
to 'MacDougal, Morag.'

Draco Malfoy, the first boy she met and talked to outside of home swaggered forward when his name was called and put on the hat. It screamed, 'SLYTHERIN!' the minute it touched his head. Oh well, one cannot fight fate and mostly Purebloods from Elitist families end up there anyway. Malfoy went to join his table, looking pleased with himself. There weren't many people left now. 'Moon' 'Nott' 'Parkinson' then a pair of twin girls, who looked like they're from India, then 'Perks, Sally-Anne' and then, at last-'Potter, Kahlua!' As she stepped forward, whispers suddenly broke out like little hissing fires all over the hall.

'Potter, did she say?'

'The Kahlua Potter who invented that new Lighting Charm?'

'Oh man, I want to be her, she can have fun with magic at home AND not be detected!' Kahlua twitched. Want to be her eh? Whose parents are murdered as martyr heroes? Morons. The last thing Kahlua saw before the hat dropped over her eyes was the hall full of people craning to get a good look at the famous girl who made a new, convenient spell. Next second she was looking at the black inside of the hat. She waited.

'Hmm,' said a small voice in her ear. 'Difficult. Very difficult. You're brave, noble and chivalrous, a patient, modest loyal hardworker as well as impartial. You are also wise and mature yet not into so much academics. You are also cunning and a wary looker than reckless bull. With all traits from all four houses in you, you're predominantly a Badger so-HUFFLEPUFF!' Hufflepuff cheered hard upon having her, a celebrity in their house. Not only was her mother a hero, Kahlua is also a budding Spell-Crafter.

And now there were only three people left to be sorted. 'Thomas, Dean,' a Black boy who was the tallest of all first years, joined the Gryffindor table. 'Turpin, Lisa,' became a Ravenclaw and then it was Ron Weasley's turn. He was pale green by now and a second later the hat had shouted, 'GRYFFINDOR!' and 'Zabini, Blaise,' was made a Slytherin. Professor McGonagall rolled up her scroll and took the Sorting Hat away.

Albus Dumbledore the Headmaster had gotten to his feet. He was beaming at the students, his arms opened wide, as if nothing could have pleased him more than to see them all there. 'Welcome,' he said. 'Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!' He sat back down. Everybody clapped and cheered. Kahlua rolled her eyes inwardly. Even the Headmaster is nuts. Soon, the-once-empty dishes in front of her were now piled with healthy food that Kahlua was accustomed to eating, with the dishes predominantly protein parts and collagen sources in livestock, seafood and vegetables as well as soups. Apparently, not even the Staff expected a change in the cuisine judging by the astonished looks on their faces. And instead of Pumpkin Juice like some older years were accustomed to, it's now ice cold pineapple juices. Kahlua suspected Sebastian has a hand in this since he forbade her from eating unhealthy, oily foods and devised a meal that used as little oil as possible, yet very tasty and nutritious.

'Wow, I haven't seen dishes like this in my years here!' exclaimed a senior. 'Wonder what these are?'

'No idea but hey, it's something new! And it's fruit juice for a change! I'm sick of Pumpkin Juice anyway.' the change in menu was well-received by the older students who apparently had same things every year and apparently are getting weary. The talk soon changed to families. Mostly everyone in First Year is a Half-Blood with Justin Finch-Fletchley the only Muggleborn, and Ernie MacMillan the only Pureblood in the bunch. Justin was supposed to go to Eton College, a prestigious all-boys' school for the wealthy and British Muggle Nobility. But Justin wanted to try out Hogwarts, much to his parents' dismay. Then again, they had no clue how to deal with a magical son and the family has no idea what to do about his powers, so they let him.

When the talk turned to Kahlua who was presumed to be living in a muggle lifestyle because her guardian, the super-handsome Sebastian Michaelis is a muggle. To their surprise, Kahlua was raised by Sebastian to be aware of her status as Heiress Potter and magical heritage and educated as such, using the number of books and lessons Lily Potter left for him in her will; her mother was crazy-prepared. For his troubles, she left him a fortune that he can probably pay for his own funeral after he got old and gray. And she never went to any muggle school, she was home-tutored safely away from the public and would-be killers. Her housemates shook their heads in sympathy. She grew up rather isolated for her safety with just a guy as her companion, and a nanny because Sebastian had no clue how to raise babies.

When everyone had eaten as much as they could, the remains of the food faded from the plates, leaving them sparkling clean as before. A moment later the desserts appeared. Fruit Sorbets, Fruit pies, Fruit Slices, and bowls of melted chocolate for fruity fondues, all in aesthetically pleasant arrangements. This included Bombe Glacee's in half-chocolate-half whatever fruit, Ice cold Almond Jelly, and Fried Ice Cream. The new things that came made seniors try out everything and pigged out. The Staff was wondering since when did the House Elves change menus, but found this a pleasant change.

At last, the desserts too disappeared, and Professor Dumbledore got to his feet again. The hall fell silent.

'Ahem - just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you. First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well.'

Dumbledore's twinkling eyes flashed in the direction of the twins. 'I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors. Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch. And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death.' he just seriously announced that, tempting students to go there. What an idiot. Kids have inquisitive minds and that's exactly what MADE them kids! They'll go whether they like it or not and probably get killed for it. Oh well, not her problem.

'And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!' cried Dumbledore. Kahlua noticed that the other teachers' smiles had become rather fixed. Dumbledore gave his wand a little flick, as if he was trying to get a fly off the end, and a long golden ribbon flew out of it, which rose high above the tables and twisted itself, snakelike, into words. 'Everyone pick their favorite tune,' said Dumbledore, 'And off we go!'

And the school bellowed:

'Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,(Kahlua stopped singing from here as the next few lines sounded like a terrible nursery song. There's not even a set tune and melody! And really now, and tune they like?!)  
Teach us something please,  
Whether we be old and bald  
Or young with scabby knees,  
Our heads could do with filling  
With some interesting stuff,  
For now they're bare and full of air,  
Dead flies and bits of fluff,  
So teach us things worth knowing,  
Bring back what we've forgot,  
just do your best, we'll do the rest,  
And learn until our brains all rot.'

Everybody finished the song at different times. At last, only the Weasley twins were left singing along to a very slow funeral march. Dumbledore conducted their last few lines with his wand and when they had finished, he was one of those who clapped loudest. 'Ah, music,' he said, wiping his eyes. 'A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!'

"...is he serious?"

The Hufflepuff first years followed their Prefect through the chattering crowds, out of the Great Hall, and downwards for the basements, until they stopped before a nook on the right-hand side of the kitchen corridor.

'Now listen closely, this is important. Unlike Gryffindor and Slytherin who uses passwords or the Ravenclaws who must answer a riddle, we do things differently here. See these stacks of barrels before us?' he said, showing them the barrels. 'To get in our dorms, one must tap the barrel two from the bottom, middle of the second row, in the rhythm of 'Helga Hufflepuff', which will make the lid swing open, exposing a passageway that will lead to the basement when crawled through. However, if the wrong lid is tapped or the wrong rhythm is used, the intruder will be doused in vinegar and barred access. So do take note of that unless you want to smell ripe when you go in!' he chuckled as he demonstrated before them. The way was open and upon getting inside...It has a welcoming, earthly atmosphere. There are lots of yellow hangings, burnished copper, and overstuffed sofas and armchairs upholstered in yellow and black, and circular windows that provide a vista of 'rippling grass and dandelions'. The place is also decorated with indoor potted plants. There is also a large, honey coloured, wooden mantelpiece with carvings of badgers on it. This is located underneath a portrait of a woman Kahlua presumed to be Helga Hufflepuff.

The Prefect directed them into the tunnels for the boys' and girls' dorms. And the girls' dorms? It was earthly and homey in appearance with soft, cushy-looking pillows, duvets and there's even a fur rug on the floor beside each bed!

It was...accomodatingly amazing.


	4. Filler: The Day Before

The Day Before

Because it was a Saturday Night when they came, today is Sunday, thus a free day and every First Year wanted to explore their home for ten months, while the older years did whatever. In the meantime, Kahlua did the same thing by exploring. She dressed up in a blue dress with 'across-the-chest' frills and lace-up vertical pattern from chest to stomach, and white flats.

She explored the castle from bottom to up after breakfast. At first last night she thought it's just by chance, but this morning, the breakfast was chicken egg drop soup with diced scallions, and omu-rice with ketchup drawings. For drinks, it was cold water. Yep, it's his doing alright. Many students were wondering when and why the menu changed, not that they minded. The curious first years were told what was the food like for years...before they came, that is. And after that, the children went off.

And the teachers went off to do their own thing...

Particularly the Headmaster and one Potions Professor.

xxx

'Severus, what do you think of young Ms. Potter?' Albus asked Severus Snape, the Potions Professor.

'I don't know which is shocking for one who just appeared after 11 years of incognito. All I know is she has talent for creating that particularly new and difficult charm.' said Snape. 'She never lets anyone look her in the eye and deliberately avoided looking at teachers last night and this morning. We know all there is about Longbottom due to your frequent chats with the Longbottom Dowager.'

'Indeed. Perhaps Kahlua grew up well-adjusted. And a normal girl as Lily made sure the Prophecy affects no child by ending the war on her own terms, bless her.' said Albus softly as the younger man with him looked like somebody died. 'Kahlua Potter and Neville Longbottom are no longer targets. The Prophecy no longer applies even if he went to the Potter home, he never got to mark Kahlua, setting things in motion. And with Lily's sacrifice, she effectively made the Prophecy a fake, rendered invalid.' he said. 'Prophecies are only real if followed through, to avoid the grisly fate it brings by doing all one can to prevent it.'

'But I'm concerned about something.' said Snape with a frown.

'What about?' Snape took out a photo of a human skin with a certain mark on it. He put it on the Headmaster's desk. 'What's that?'

'...it's Lily's skin, among the remains I found when I got there first.' said Snape softly. The old man cringed. Lily...and Voldemort's remains were blown up according to autopsy, and Albus himself cremated the remains and vanished the blood to ensure no crazy ritual of bringing him back. 'I tested to make sure. I've been wondering what this mark is for years.'

'This mark...on Lily's skin?'

'Yes, her forehead to be exact.' said Snape. 'I can't let anyone see it so I cut it off her head and hid it.' he said with a shudder at his own act. It was his beloved Lily after all.

'I'm too young to know of that mark.' said Albus as he looked at the mark thoughtfully. 'I've never seen it in my years of studying magic. Perhaps, I'll ask around. May I have this photo?'

'If it helps.' Albus took the photo.

'Maybe Nicholas or Garrick might know, but Garrick went off on a Core-Hunt and left a salesman behind...Nicholas it is.'

xxx

Elsewhere in the school...

Kahlua explored the castle from bottom to top, leaving no stone unturned. She did not show up for lunch because the castle was so huge it'll take a whole day to explore the whole place. The level below the Basements, the Basement itself, Ground Floor, the Grounds, then Floors 1-7 She explored in a rather...unusual way. She ran in high speeds and if obstacles, err people are in the way, she would jump with supernaturally-augmented leg strength by magic. On physical raw strength on its own, she could jump seven meters high and run in speeds bordering on supernatural. However, with magic-augmented legs, this speed and leg power is augmented by a factor of five. And her jumps look like she flies around in blurs that everyone was left wondering what was the speedy blur that day.

She then took a slight breather upon finishing exploring the seventh floor. 'Whew...I never ran like that in my whole life before...' she mused as her body was hot from the activity. She meditated with controlled breaths to cool down after spelling her messed-up hair for an instant fix. After resting for an hour, she stood up, dusted off dust off her dress and went on to explore the towers.

After that, she jumped off one of the towers when she's done and took a deadly plunging dive with her body spread eagle to slow down a little and the skirt of her dress helps a bit. Upon reaching thirty meters off the ground, she created a giant clear pink ball...that turned out to be a soft elastic thing that broke her fall although the ball bounced her off after falling hard on it. She dispelled it before landing properly on her feet, and calmly walked away as if it was nothing, much to many incredulous stares.

'S-she came from high up...' some students looked up to see that where they're from, there's no windows from straight up...but the towers. A lot of people paled that day.

'Don't tell me she did a Free Fall without a Bungee Cord?!'

xxx

'Ms. Potter, what's this I hear about you falling from an undeterminably high height and falling into a pink ball?' Professor McGonagall demanded in her Headmistress' Office. Kahlua turned to her nonchalantly and shrugged.

'Oh that? I'm testing another of my creations out, that's all.' said Kahlua casually. 'I'm testing out a materialized cushioning spell.' she explained as if talking about the weather. 'I'm using myself as a test subject to completely study stuff I'm making, you see. If I don't test it myself, how can I patent it?'

'So where did you fall off from?'

'The Astronomy Tower.' McGonagall gasped in horror and disbelief. She what?

'WHAT?!' came Professor McGonagall's horrified shriek. 'You jumped off from THERE?!'

'Yep. By testing my spell from a fatal height, I can test the strength of my improved version of the cushioning spell from the books.' Kahlua explained like a scientist to the horrified professor. 'Since my spell saved me from a fall that would have splattered my remains on the grounds, I'd say experiment success.'

'Are you crazy?!'

'Am not. I'm a spell crafter and don't we test our crafted spells before publication?' McGonagall twitched at this with numerous crosshairs popping on her head.

'D-Detention Ms. Potter, and I want you to write 'I must not do crazy things ever again' on 100 sheets of paper, back to back!' McGonagall twitched. 'And since it's not school yet I cannot take off points. But if you do something of this magnitude again, I'll chunk off points by the hundreds!' she threatened angrily at the not-really-caring girl at all.

'Oh, would you be providing the writing stuff then?' and she doesn't care a bit! McGonagall wondered if she'll EVER have a peaceful teaching time. Since the arrival of the Marauders, then the Weasley Twins, she never had peace and now this one comes along! They're determined to drive her up the wall!

'Naturally!'

And so...

McGonagall twitched as she watched Kahlua do speed writing as it takes a minute each 'page' since it was back to back. So it was 200 minutes in total or 3 hours and 20 minutes. 'I'm done.'

'Your Head of House and the Headmaster will definitely hear of this, so don't do this ever again!' Professor McGonagall grumbled. 'You may go.' Kahlua then left. '...how many years to go before the twins and she graduates?' she moaned mournfully.

xxx

Indeed, Professor Sprout and the Headmaster heard it from the irate Transfiguration Professor and Kahlua was sufficiently punished enough. The old Headmaster himself 'questioned' the castle using his authoritative powers as Hogwarts Headmaster granted to him when he took on the post. And what he saw terrified the old man out of his wits that a child would be THIS crazy and go such lengths just to patent a spell she made before submitting it to the Ministry again? And there's no trace whatsoever of fear on her face. She was perfectly calm and confident that it'll work, and it did.

And what was she doing before that?

The speedy blurs he was hearing about from the paintings, turned out to be her as well. Merlin...she can run at such supernaturally inhuman speeds and jump such impossible leaps? What the hell was she doing all these years? Soon, he got mail from Nicholas Flamel.

He said he had no idea what the mark is. But clearly an occult tattoo or something and he's researching the Occult that Muggles believed in as last he checked, their kind don't do Occult. Well, he'll have to wait.

xxx

The Courtyards...Kahlua was reading her manga as usual around late afternoon when Draco Malfoy approached her.

'Hey Potter,' he said in his usual drawling voice, 'I heard an interesting rumor about you this morning.'

'That's true and I had to write lines for it.' said Kahlua good-naturedly, much to their disbelief. 'Well, since school hasn't started yet, McGonagall can't take off points, so she settled for lines back-to-back on 100 sheets of paper. It took me three hours and twenty minutes to finish them on her watch.' his jaws dropped. 'So why have you come to see me? Have you thought about what I told you?'

'I did.' said Draco as he sat with her. 'I talked about it with my parents.'

'And?'

'I decided that to be a proud Pureblood and to prove I'm strong, I can take anything anyone throws at me and still stand tall and walk with dignity. I will not be a pushover.' Draco smirked. 'Because it's my pride as a Malfoy on the line.' Kahlua smirked back.

'Looks like you have a tough job ahead of you.'

'It's worth the trouble.' said Draco. 'I cannot call myself a Pureblood if I can't even do that.'

'It'll have to be on your own power and own terms, not relying on anyone, not even your family's backing. Prove yourself as your own man through your own hard-earned effort, worthy of anyone's respect, not because you are a Malfoy because that means you are respected because of your family's power and prestige. Being respected as your own person don't count in that part you know.' Draco had a comical anvil fall on his head. 'How about a bet?'

'A bet?'

'Yep. Whoever gets the most respect and admiration as a person by the time we graduate, the loser will do something for the winner?' Kahlua challenged good-naturedly. 'You are in the shadow of your family. Me, I'm also in mother's shadow as well. She who saved Wizarding Britain and avenged father.'

'In the shadow, unseen by anyone...huh? A fate unbefitting of ones of our lineage. That simply is impermissible, no?' Draco glanced sideways at her.

'Yep. I'm already starting to think of what I want from you if I win from our bet.' Kahlua chirped happily while clapping her hands in glee. Draco twitched at this.

'Oh yeah? I already have in mind what I want from you!' Draco snarked back.

'May the best person win then?'

'I'll make sure it's me!' they said together and sealed the deal with a handshake.

xxx

That night, the Malfoy Manor in Wiltshire, Lucius Malfoy received a letter from his son.

**Father, Mother,**

**I need some advice. I talked to Potter again and I told her**  
**what I think, and went to Slytherin House anyway. I can't**  
**call myself a proud Pureblood if I let these fools get to me**  
**and she respects my decision as a man with a cute smile**  
**on her face and she was pleased with me, then wished me  
luck because it's a tough road.**

**We then made a bet; because both of us are in the shadows**  
**of our well-respected parents, we wanted to stand out on our**  
**own. Whoever gets the most admiration and respect from the**  
**student body by the time we graduate, the loser will do or get**  
**what the winner wants. And I sure as hell will win this one,**  
**considering the efforts and lengths I have to take, due to the**  
**reputation of our House. If I achieve this, I'll win and my hard-**  
**earned victory will definitely be sweeter than hers.**

**I'll do what it takes, even if it'll raise some eyebrows. I'm warning**  
**you in advance. Nothing illegal of course. Afterall, we Slytherins**  
**are ambitious and use all means to achieve our ends, no?**

**Love,**  
**Draco**

Lucius Malfoy wondered what to think of this. Especially on the third paragraph. And Draco wants some advice before classes officially start.

He'll be talking about this with his wife. When he read underneath the underneath of the letter...and considering Potter took an interest in his son, she was pushing him to be a better person and make a name for himself as Draco Malfoy. He had no idea why she was interested in him and nothing romantic about it. She sees his potential and will bring it out using their 'game'. A move worthy of a snake for the sake of his son. His son however...he wrote 'cute smile on her face'. **Hummm...**

Yep, he'll talk with his wife tonight, after she had tea with Katerina Parkinson in her house.


	5. Classes Start

Classes Start

Monday...

Kahlua got ready with her fellow dormmates for school.

Today is the first day and she's excited. Day One, First Year of their bet. While having breakfast that is always soup, breakfast dish and matching juice, day one has begun, and after the meals, Professor Sprout handed out schedules. She looked at her schedule, and Hufflepuff sharing classes with other houses at least once a day everyday with all year levels in all houses meeting on the Astronomy Tower every wednesday, and Double Flying Lessons on Friday with all houses. The way the schedules are planned, it was as if all houses must get to know their fellow first years in other houses which is a stroke of genius. Today was Double Herbology with Ravenclaw, Double History with Slytherin, Double Charms with Gryffindor, then a Free Study Period before dinner.

Herbology...Professor Sprout is has the personality of a kind and nurturing mother evident in her teaching style, while maintaining professionalism at the same time despite her cheerful and positive attitude and teaches them well how to care for plants.

History however, everyone was put to sleep by Binns' monotonous, slow drawl in lectures practically everyone was put to sleep. This made Kahlua send mail requesting Sebastian that he send her a walkman with lively music that will somehow NOT be affected by Hogwarts Technology, and cassette tapes with lively music because of her History Class whose ghostly teacher's style of teaching lulled everyone to sleep! Sebastian's response? He sent her what he requested and also, delivered an anonymous complaint letter in print to the Board of Governors using expensive, valium parchment. Governors, not knowing who this wealthy person is(only the wealthy and nobility use valium), had to act quickly as there's no telling who this is and this person is annoyed. Binns' however, is an Earthbound ghost trapped in his past and teaches on schedule even if his students moved to another classroom with a flesh-and-blood teacher, Andromeda Tonks.

Said woman was Draco Malfoy's disowned aunt for marrying a Muggleborn.

But at least, she's a competent teacher and got everyone interested in History again by having lively lectures and giving random quizzes the day after to keep everyone on their toes. As for Binns, nobody in Britain has the skill to Exorcise him and next thing everyone knew, he disappeared one day, leaving behind a severely traumatized Peeves-he was left shaking in pure fear and bleeping like a sheep, making everyone wonder what Peeves saw. The Poltergeist had to be dragged away by the other ghosts because he had been traumatized so much he was unable to move. Elsewhere, Sebastian was happy he got to snack when his mistress said nobody could get rid of Binns. He did. Not that she or anyone will know.

After that is Double Defense Against the Dark Arts with Gryffindors. Quirrell was a stuttering mess Kahlua was like WTF?

She was much better off self-studying on her own, even if Sebastian taught her ahead of time. Unfortunately, Sebastian cannot do anything this time as before he became a stuttering mess, Quirrell was a good teacher until that Holiday Trip in Albania.

Double Transfiguration with Slytherins Kahlua and Draco were competing on who could transfigure first. Because Kahlua had prior tutoring...

Then in came Double Potions with Gryffindor. Professor Snape. She labelled him in her mind as the vampire of the dungeons due to how he looked and dressed, but nonetheless, she works well...until someone blew up his Cauldron, and by sound alone, she determined WHO and with a boy and a girl dangerously close to the volatile mess, she promptly lifted them up with raw strength alone and put them down elsewhere. She got awarded points for fast-acting, but she got a questioning on how could she lift two kids around her weight range in Hermione Granger's part and a boy err heavier than her on Neville Longbottom's part? Snape did not detect magic on her at all which means it was _sheer raw muscular strength_. That includes that the two kids in question were two rows befind her and there's somehow a metal plating above the kids on the second row, shielding them from potion splash. Her answer?

'How can I call myself a Potter if I can't even do a simple thing like that?' came the sweet smile. Snape twitched at her answer.

Needless to say, gossip spread about the 'Badger Amazoness', and instilled a healthy fear in men.

No man likes to anger this type of woman.

xxx

'You really lifted Granger and Longbottom with just muscle power?!' Hannah Abbott incredulously asked Kahlua.

'Yup. Snape is proof enough when he tested me, remember?' Kahlua asked her good-naturedly.

'Makes me wonder how that Sebastian bloke raised you.' said Susan Bones wryly. Kahlua smiled mysteriously.

'Oh...let's just say we did this and that while getting tutored...'

xxx

Draco Malfoy had done his bid in getting popular. He acted out of character, literally.

He was the perfect, charming gentleman who was kind to even Muggleborns and charmed his way into them. He got his advice from his parents alright. Rather, more from his mother. She told him to be the kind, charming gentleman, who is nice to everyone and be sure to keep his grades stellar and spellwork excellent while he's at it. Needless to say, the Muggleborns who had no idea of Slytherin's reputation took a shine to him and he had quite the following, and his housemates were wondering what the hell happened, or who is this _alien_ and what happened to the REAL Draco Malfoy, according to the childhood friends he grew up with. What's with the switch?

That, and he wasn't getting Howlers from his parents which means...they approve?!

He was also _friends_ with Kahlua whom he shared playful banter with, a fact that raised many eyebrows indeed. Everyone went WTF?! On free times, he spends time with her, reads manga together and even...exchanges veiled snarky insults together. They even spent time with random people, and being helpful in things they don't understand, thoroughly explaining what they did wrong and ways to correct their academic and spellwork. They succeeded in where Hermione Granger didn't that got the bushy-haired girl frustrated.

That doesn't mean they gave answers though. Just the means _how_. Afterall, if you get handed everything on a silver platter, how will you truly learn?

A lot of people have mixed feelings with this.

Draco's Childhood friends: They were wondering what alien switched with the real Draco and they want him back. Not that they could. He's friends with the Badger Amazoness. One time Pansy Parkinson demanded that he go back to 'the right sort this instant', as she was jealous that Draco is spending time with a half-blood and not her, a pureblood! Draco Malfoy should be with her, not Potter! Kahlua mustered enough strength to punch a hole in the wall big enough for a child to stand in with a cheerful smile despite the former's rudeness, but she drove her point home. Pansy(and so was everybody else who saw) was scared stiff and nobody wanted to be the poor wall(that self-repaired afterwards).

His Head of House: Snape feared that this friendship might go downhill if Draco uttered _that one word_ that damned his own friendship with Kahlua's mother. He saw that Kahlua was just like her mother in seeing potential in people with the subconscious need to bring it out-and she targeted his friend's son upon seeing it, being the first person her age she met in Diagon Alley. He warned Draco to NEVER utter that vile word around anyone, especially Kahlua lest he loses her friendship as she is a better friend than his peers and she seems to do him good. He got popular and a better person after all. He told Lucius that this unusual friendship did his son good as everyone is slowly growing to like him, becoming a popular boy in school-among Muggleborns for now as the Stigma of Slytherin is still in the air among half-bloods and purebloods. Draco did a great job because not only did his grades rise, his was higher than the students he helps out, always achieving EEs and some Os. Of course, that made Lucius and Narcissa happy. As long as their son is the best, who're they to complain? Slytherins use all means to achieve their ends.

The half-bloods and pureblood kids who grew up knowing one another: mixed feelings indeed as everyone knew what kind of people the Malfoys were, and their rather dark reputation. Yet Kahlua befriended this guy?! Moreover what's with Malfoy? He's acting totally out of character! And what's Kahlua thinking befriending someone like him? Everyone else is OK but NOT a Death Eater's kid! However, no one dared to voice that out. Nobody wanted to be like that poor wall. Last they heard, Pansy Parkinson was scared stiff that if Kahlua is nearby, she runs for it like the Puff Girl was a boogieman. Kahlua however, was kind and nice to everyone else anyway...some people eventually concluded that Draco Malfoy fell far from the tree and Kahlua was responsible for that. so the verdict was giving him the benefit of the doubt.

Halloween...that morning...

Albus Dumbledore got a letter from Nicholas Flamel. 'Finally, it's here!' he looked forward to see his answers on what that mark is, and called Snape over. They took out Nicholas' letter and Albus started to read aloud.

**Albus,**

**I found what I'm looking for and nobody's going to like it.**  
**Back a hundred years ago, around Victoria's era, Muggle**  
**British Nobility go to Secret Underground Parties, involving**  
**themselves with the Occult and Black Magic in hopes of**  
**gaining eternal beauty/wealth/power/life and what-have-you.**

**There are rituals of summoning demons and I DO mean the**  
**demons from hell itself. Some involved sacrificing children with**  
**pure souls or virgin girls/women in attempts to lure the demon**  
**out with food in return for these sacrifices to avoid a fate worse**  
**than death: giving their own souls to him as payment for their**  
**wishes. The mark you gave me is a demon's mark in a Faustian**  
**Contract: The demon grants you whatever you wish in exchange**  
**for your soul. However, these rituals do NOT work. I found some**  
**old diary notes of a Muggle Noble named Ciel Phantomhive, a**  
**young Earl back in Victoria's era who served as the 'Queen's**  
**Watchdog' starting at a mere age 13.**

**In his diary, he was originally a boy who has a happy childhood**  
**despite being aware of the true nature of his father's job as the**  
**Queen's Watchdog before him. On his tenth birthday, his home**  
**was attacked, set on fire and everyone he knew murdered, his**  
**parents included. As for him, he was taken and sold to the nobles**  
**who were into that same Black Magic Club. Out of desperation and**  
**hatred, and wilingly turning his back on the light and gates of**  
**heaven forever, it was what called the demon to him only, not**  
**the nobles in the room. He formed a contract with the demon who**  
**will be his servant and primary muscle in his vengeance. Since**  
**the demon doesn't have a name, his client must name him.**

**Ciel gave him the name Sebastian...after his dog that died in the**  
**fire. He gave three permanent orders to Sebastian: he protects and**  
**never betray him until he gets his revenge. He obey any order**  
**unconditionally and never lie. For three years, he worked hard to**  
**become Earl Phantomhive and got decorated early, and began his**  
**grisly jobs for the Queen. The mark of contract is on his left eye.**  
**When I saw the mark at the end of his diary, it was the same as**  
**Lily Potter's mark. She summoned 'Sebastian' as well and this means**  
**that the Sebastian Michaelis with her daughter _is that very demon_**  
**who raised and protected her daughter on her request.**

**Lily Potter turned her back on the light for the sake of her daughter.**  
**The poor girl's is most likely in his stomach by now, as demons EAT**  
**souls. Tis' a fate worse than death just like being eaten by a Dementor.**

Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snape's stomach lurched and looked ready to hurl their lunch at the revelation. Snape fell weak on his knees in horror at what became of his beloved Lily. All this was HIS FAULT! He trembled uncontrollably in horror, grief, anguish and despair at what became of his beloved Lily. If only he never reported that Prophecy to the Dark Lord. If only he never did! This would never have happened! He underestimated the lengths Lily went for her only child and her extremity to the point of summoning a MONSTER and get eaten by him after fulfilling her wish was too much to bear. Lily's fate is all his fault and he damn knew it.

**For now, Kahlua Potter is safe, as Sebastian is still under Lily Potter's**  
**Contract Deal with him. Who knows how long will the contract last though**  
**and who knows if Kahlua knew of the deal. You can only know by asking.**  
**I suspect that Sebastian will be with Kahlua until she reaches adulthood**  
**and after that, he'll leave by 'going on retirement' formally but that's up**  
**for debate. Watch over little Kahlua and get our answers. NOW.**

**N. J. Flamel**

Severus Snape howled in anguish at the Headmaster's Office as Albus Dumbledore can only share his grief at how far Lily Potter went for her daughter to protect her from Voldemort. And he knew the younger man's world was Lily Potter.

He only hoped that he would not do the unthinkable, considering they know how to summon demons now.

xxx

After lunch on a Free Period, Dumbledore summoned Kahlua to his office. 'Hey, I didn't jump off the tower again this time or anything, why am I called?' she asked rather good-naturedly.

'I was curious for a long time...what kind of life did you live with your guardian, Mr. Michaelis?' Dumbledore asked her kindly. 'You were out of sight for eleven years and you're a...VIP per se in our world.' Kahlua's expression changed.

'Yes, I'm aware of that and mother's...martyrdom.' said Kahlua softly. 'I can't even have a body to bury. At least I had my father who's buried in the backyard of my house.'

"So Sebastian took the body." he thought. 'Worry not...your mother is here in Hogwarts.' he said softly. 'What we could find...that is.'

'Where?'

'I know you explored the whole castle before that...reckless plunge.' the Headmaster twitched before recovering his bearings. 'So surely you have seen a garden full of various kinds of lily flowers arranged in excellent landscaping.' Kahlua nodded. 'That was mostly Professor Sprout's, Hagrid's, and Professor Snape's efforts to hide the fact that we buried her in school for you to visit as you like.' Kahlua gasped at this. She had been there! She made some notes to visit that lily patch later. 'So how are things these past few years?'

'My kind of life huh? If I'd describe it in two words...I'd say it's 'crazy-prepared'.' said Kahlua with a giggle. 'I grew up in a luxuriously elegant mansion he bought with the help of the goblins and decorated it himself. During my first six years of life, I was raised by the muggle elderly Mrs. Perkins who weaned me out of diapers and taught me how to write and read. Then Sebastian came, saying he's my tutor and butler.'

'What's a butler?'

'The male head of servants in a wealthy household. He's the one dishing out jobs to other servants before doing his job.' Kahlua explained. 'He taught me manners befitting of Victoria's era and Wizarding Family Etiquette, just without the Pureblood Mania part though. Just the good and right conduct part. Then things I must know as a Noble who has links to Politics, and of course, combat and duelling training since I have a target painted on my head. Mother left him things she wants him to teach me and set it all up, so I am what I am today.' she said. 'Sebastian said he'd leave me when I'm 22 as he promised.'

'22, not 17?'

'Well yes...' said kahlua. 'Mother and father died at 21 and she fears about the same jinx on me so she asked Sebastian to stay with me for 21 years, then he could retire from being my guardian and mentor when I hit 22.'

'I see...' So that's how long the Contract is. 'And who is Mr. Michaelis exactly?'

'He's just an ordinary man saddled with fatherhood at 21, he said.' Kahlua sighed. 'He has a degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management in College and wound up working for my family. Oh well, mother left him a fortune to compensate. He'd be working in a Hotel or Restaurant somewhere otherwise. He also has expert skill in martial arts, fencing and firearms marksmanship, stuff I learned on the way...due to the target on me, I learned those things, along with magic.' So Kahlua isn't aware of the deal.

'And what is he to you?'

'Hum...my snarky vice-father who has little faith in the Wizarding Community?' Kahlua giggled. Vice-Father?!

'...huh?' and when Kahlua explained why, this left the old man twitching in indignancy. Sure he can admit that but he wasn't 'like them'! He wouldn't be where he is today if he didn't have his common sense! But at least he learned of her background. 'Then what of your godfather Sirius? Have you met him?'

'No. Not that he looked.' Kahlua snorted with a scoff. 'Sebastian told him that anyone with affiliation to the Potters must do the same training I did if they want to see me...' then she wore a dark smile. 'Because weak people near me will die. You have be to strong to be near someone like me who has a target on her head. Be a competent fighter not a deadweight so that way, nobody dies because of me or their weakness. If he's really serious about seeing me, he should have done that training.'

That explained why Sirius and Remus was gone for years with no word whatsoever.

xxx

That night...at the Halloween Feast...something unexpected happened.

Everyone was enjoying the Halloween Cheer. However, Kahlua was by the Lily Patch to visit her mother's grave and did not bother with the feast. It's her first time visiting her mother's grave on her Death Anniversary. She visited father as many times as she wanted, but today was her first time visiting her mother who was buried under the flowers that will never wilt. She smiled. Her mother attained the greatest honor one could dream to have. To be loved by everyone because she saved everyone and put an end to the war. Today, she wore black.

She always does on her parents' death anniversary and stay by the side of the graves until she has to sleep. However, she heard shrieking from the castle and...sounds of destruction? Frowning, she followed the sounds with her ears and lo, a Troll! Troll heading for the Dungeons...and somebody near it just had to scream-from the girls' loo. 'Tch.' she took out her pendant and yanked it off her neck, effectively snapping the thin chain easily, and enlarged the accessory...a broadsword.

'Over here you walking cesspit!' Kahlua roared as she jumped up and before the Troll can react, she sliced its neck off its' body and kicked the amputated head off. The rest of the body went 'timber~!' and a loud THUD! that caused the ground to shake a little. 'Hello~? Anyone in the bathrooms?' she called out. 'We better scram before they catch us here you know?'

Hermione Granger took a peek from the broken door she was using as a cover when the Troll's club decimated the bathrooms. 'Come on! Upsy-daisy!' Kahlua removed the door off her. 'It's Halloween Feast, what're you doing here?'

'W-well, I've been here since Charms ended.' Hermione sniffled. 'T-that jerk Ron Weasley! I was just helping him when he blew me off, saying I'm a know-it-all who has no friends! What's worse, it's true!'

'Well, Draco and I did warn you how you go by it.' said Kahlua softly as she comforted the girl with back rubs. 'And also, you should see who really deserves help.' she said. 'Those who needed a leg-up to perform better because they wanted to get better and there are those who wants help by having the helper do the work for them while they do nothing, and wants the answers for free with no effort at all. Tell me, who deserves help, the former or the latter?'

'W-well, the former of course!' Hermione flustered out,

'Then look carefully from now on. You can't help just anyone. You must help only those who truly deserve help.' Kahlua advised. 'The former will thank you and the latter will use you. Because you are Gryffindor's brightest student in our year level among your house, the danger is a lot of people will want to use and overwork you. Look carefully. The former will become good friends and the latter are parasites of society who will feed off you until you're bone dry.'

'I-I uh...'

'Let's get out of here before they...'

'A-hem!' the girls froze and looked to see the faculty save for Snape and Quirrell looking at them.

'Can you girls explain what you're doing here?' McGonagall harrumphed as Hermione squeaked. Kahlua calmly explained what happened, and she's the one who killed the Troll, before finding Hermione in the bathrooms. She has been here since Charms ended due to a boy's cruel words. 'I see. I'll have a word with Mr. Weasley about treating his housemates.' said Professor McGonagall with a scowl. Men these days... 'These events are circumstantial and nobody's injured...'

'But did you really have to kill that Troll Ms. Potter?' Dumbledore asked her with a cringe. How can an 11 year old kill without a blink? 'We could have had knocked it unconscious and have the Ministry take it...'

'Well there's no use talking to a Troll that has -0 IQ now does it? And knocking him is too messy and time-consuming, and Granger would be dead by then(said girl paled in fright at how close she was) so I opted for the quick option of Euthanizing it by slicing his head off. And the suits of armor are convenient since they have real weaponry...and Trolls have magic-resistant hides, so physical means can beat it, no? Oh well, Professor Snape will be happy with free Troll ingredients...'

'First you punched a hole in the wall and now this?' Hermione sweatdropped. 'Are you Superman and Supergirl's lost love-child or something?' Kahlua laughed at the reference.

'No. What kind of a Potter would I be if I can't even defeat a Troll?'


	6. Suspicions and Seasons

Suspicions and Seasons

After that Troll Incident...

Hermione Granger became a good friend of the Hufflepuff Girls...who were sure she's in the wrong house. For a Gryffindor, she's too brainy and logical. Kahlua taught Hermione HOW to make friends despite her academic intelligence and by losing her bossiness, haughtiness and condescending lecture-way of speaking(she had no idea she's using that tone), she's slowly making friends. Draco Malfoy even befriended her. When he did, a change occurred in Hermione Granger.

Her thick, Hagrid-level bushy hair is now magically straight with small ringlet-curls at the bottom, her bangs cut a centimeter shorter to have a small gap before her eyebrows were swept to the left, her just-as thick eyebrows trimmed into thin, angular eyebrows with a raspberry-red headband-because she's a Gryffindor. A trip to Madam Pomfrey's also had her larger teeth slightly shrunk to even with her other teeth. End result? She's quite cute if she only fixed herself sooner. The one responsible for the cosmetic change was Draco himself. And due to Hermione's new looks...that, and he also gave the Hufflepuff girls quite a makeover, he had very good taste because his mother's a rather vain fashionista and he somewhat inherited her cosmetic skills and his father enjoys lording over his good looks so he was also somewhat on the vain side as well.

Needless to say, they ADORED him and was the only boy in their gang.

A rather unprecedented event in the history of Hogwarts. Hufflepuff and Slytherin and Gryffindor in a group, eh?

On the first day of December, Hermione wanted to drag in someone new...Neville Longbottom.

'Why Longbottom?' Draco asked her. 'It could've been those annoying twins...the pranks are annoying but they're great magic works!'

'That's why I did NOT invite the twins...they already know what they wanted to do and to be and they can unleash their potential by themselves with their strong drive to become legendary pranksters surpassing the alumni calling themselves Marauders, whoever they are...when I asked Professor Flitwick who the Marauders are, the poor man fainted.' she shuddered as the others gaped at the lone Muggleborn in the group. 'They must be one heck of troublemakers and for the twins wanting to surpass them must be too much for his old age.' she giggled. 'It's easy to take him to Madam Pomfrey since he's so small...but when I asked her the same question, she was horrified and without knowing, she muttered ways to skin them alive, forgetting I was there in front of her!'

Silence with jaws ajar ensued.

'The Marauders eh...they were my father, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin.' said Kahlua, breaking the weird silence. 'Although the thing is, father and Black were the troublesome ones, and Remus Lupin is like, the angel to their devil you see?' she explained. 'He's the one restraining them but if he gets annoyed enough, he dishes out twice the trouble than what father and Black can do combined...because he is the smartest and the most creative one, while father and Black rely on spells and potions they already know to dish out trouble. And in today's generation of nutcases, the Weasley twins are like their twisted love children or something. Smart, creative, and dangerous.' the others shuddered violently at the mere thought. 'But we're getting off topic, we're talking about Longbottom here!' the others looked sheepish. 'As Draco asked, why Longbottom?'

'He could have been better but he has insecurities and I have a bad feeling.' Hermione frowned. 'Considering what you taught me, I started considering on who really deserves a leg-up and I looked around in our year level in my house and I saw Neville.' she said. 'For some reason, he's scared stiff of the sterner and stricter teachers. When they talk to him, he reacts as if he'll be yelled at o-or be hit...' she croaked out in dismay. 'Particularly in Snape's class!'

'B-but that can't be!' Draco cried incredulously. 'Due to our declining birth rates, wizarding families treasure their children! You're saying he could be abused?'

'Probably because he's reacting like that...and since my family has a doctor background and my aunt is a Part-Time Psychologist for the Women and Children's Help Desk at the Police Station when called to handle abuse cases, I pick up things whenever she talks about her cases in her visits to my parents and she's got a tendency of getting wasted to temporarily forget.' said Hermione wryly. 'Purebloods know each other so what do you know of Neville?'

'My family never associates with his due to our backgrounds.' Draco sighed. 'My family supports branches of magic the light supporters would never approve of even if it meant undermining our rich magical history society once had and the Longbottoms are a proud 'light' family. The only time we can really socialize is on holiday or seasonal gatherings and parties where all purebloods gather from all over the world in hopes of finding matches for their children to keep Pureblood Families pure.' he said. 'And on those parties, I never saw Longbottom not even once, but the Longbottoms are there. And this is what Zabini got because he happened to be at the right spot near some gossiping old ladies while getting some cakes...he's a near Squib and having him around was as if carrying shame with them.' he said darkly as the girls gasped in scandalized horror. 'Even if they see him as a disgrace, surely they wouldn't abuse him? That's just unthinkable! Wizards have only one children due to our low fertility rate and the Weasleys are lucky enough to have _seven_! And if said seven kids marry, the Weasleys will soon be the biggest wizarding family in Britain!'

'Yes, he is still abused, but not physically.' said Hermione just as darkly. 'He's verbally, mentally, emotionally and psychologically abused. And they say scars of the heart and soul never heal. Being exposed to such abuse all his life, Neville is a walking self-fulfilling prophecy due to his most-likely horrible home environment. And our beliefs affect our magical power and ability. With the right environment, Neville could have been great if he grew up in a loving home, low-magic be damned, he could be a late-bloomer for all we know. No babies are magic tanks at birth for merlin's sake!' she grunted irritably. 'And then there's Neville's wand-he says it's his father's and his grandmother wanted him to honor his memory by using it...is she STUPID?!' the others jumped when she burst out the last word and the half-bloods and the lone pureblood whistled that she had the balls to call the fierce Longbottom Dowager stupid.

'Ollivander said the wand chooses its wizard, not the other way around and I believe we all had that lecture when we bought our wands!' she continued snarkily. 'And Mr. Longbottom's wand will not chose him even if the son uses it because they're _not_ compatible. I've read a bit on wandlore wondering why. Our wands are in a way, have a low-degree of sentience. If it senses that its user is NOT the partner it chose, it will rebel in a way by deliberately messing with magic channeling and messing up your spells, or make it either not work, or blow up in your face.' her listeners mouths formed a small 'o'. 'And that's why Neville's performance in practicals suck and its not even his fault!' she bit out harshly. 'The one to blame for this is his family who has no ounce of common sense and not studying magic enough! There's more to magic than our current school subjects!' she was near shrieking fiercely before she stopped talking.

'She makes a point there.' said Susan Bones with a frown before sighing. 'And I don't like what I'm hearing...this is horrible.'

'We should take Neville in.' said Megan Jones. 'If he has no friends in school, he'll think nobody would want to associate with a so-called failure like him and his self-esteem will even be lower, with his powers reacting accordingly to his beliefs. Even worse, it's no news to half and pureblood kids.'

'So tomorrow, drag him here and we'll slowly integrate him in until he gets used to us.' said Kahlua. 'But we definitely have to do something about that wand of his...if he really should honor his father's memory, wouldn't it have been better to keep it around as a good-luck charm just to feel close to his father? And I hear Mr. Longbottom and his wife were great Aurors who defied 'that man' and survived. But now they're vegetables in a hospital. Neville can either become a great Auror like them to honor their memory or become a Mind Healer to slowly but surely restore his parents who surely loves him because they protected him and became what they are now just so he'll live. And by saving his parents, he could at least be with his parents again after some years of hard work.'

'That could be great as soon as we fix him.' said Hannah Abbott wryly. 'And fixing him is no easy task...can we really do it, undo years of abuse in a matter of months?'

'We won't know until we try.' said Kahlua. 'Things only become hopeless if we give up because we can't think of anymore other ways. But if we find ways, we can do this. It'll be tough, but it'll be worth it. Operation Longbottom will now commence. Hermione will make the first move. Befriend him first and once he likes you enough without stuttering at you, bring him to us.'

'Got it.'

xxx

In the meantime, Albus Dumbledore was using his Headmaster Powers granted to him by his position at Hogwarts to watch over the students in his office.

He always does on after-school hours outside dorms, watching over hallways and weekends where it's not-so-tiring. But for now, due to Kahlua Potter's situation, he was watching over her and her group of friends more and learned something interesting and just as disturbing. The mere thought that the Weasley Twins would truly succeed their predecessors made him wonder if he'll still have his hair after they graduate. And poor Neville Longbottom. Maybe he'll have a chat with the boy sometime to confirm what the other children suspect of him. He cannot send a letter just yet...but he can do something about the wand.

That's what McGonagall is for. If there's anyone who can go verbal toe-to-toe with Augusta Longbottom, it would be her. Albus wasn't as frank and brutally blunt as she is...thing is, they would have to go about this carefully...

30 Minutes later...

'Sorry if I came late, but I was almost done with grading quizzes.' said McGonagall. 'What did you call me for Albus?'

'You know that I'm watching over our interesting clique in my spare time.' said Albus as McGonagall slightly twitched. Interesting clique indeed. 'Then they were talking about young Neville Longbottom. Ms. Granger wanted him in their group to bring out his potential greatly squashed by his low self-esteem, and she suspected abuse.'

'ABUSE?!' McGonagall gasped in horror.

'Yes, abuse. But not the physical kind...the abuse he is suspected of enduring are far worse as Ms. Granger suspects. Verbal, mental, emotional and psychological abuse that gradually made a self-fulfilling prophecy as the years go by because Mr. Longbottom believes what everyone thinks of him, as when he was little, we all knew he has unusually-low magic output.' McGonagall swallowed at this. 'And his family thinking he is a near-Squib, he must have been daily reminded on what a horrible wizard he is and a shame of the family. He is raised in a strict and harsh environment that he would wince and react as if he would soon be hit if talked to by our sterner and harsher teachers. And Ms. Granger noted Severus as one of these teachers.' said Albus. 'And our beliefs affect our powers. And then there's his wand...he is using his father's wand, not his own.'

'According to Ms. Granger, word-for-word before saying how stupid his grandmother is, Frank's wand will not chose him even if the son uses it because they're _not_ compatible. Our wands are in a way, have a low-degree of sentience. If it senses that its user is NOT the partner it chose, it will rebel in a way by deliberately messing with magic channeling and messing up your spells, or make it either not work, or blow up in your face. So Mr. Longbottom's faulty performance is not his fault, but indirectly the fault of his grandmother, even if she means well because she gave him Frank's wand in his memory. But Augusta forgets that Neville is _not_ Frank. She cannot replace her son using her grandson starting with his wand.'

'Then shouldn't we talk to Augusta about this?!'

'Suspicion is that...suspicion.' said Albus rather mournfully. 'We must talk with Neville first under the guise of asking how he is. As for his wand...I'm counting on you to convince Augusta without revealing what we know. I hope that when holidays end, he has his own wand and maybe, he'll do better in school. I'll talk to Severus, Aurora and Rolanda about their mannerisms regarding Mr. Longbottom while you think of a way to interact with Mr. Longbottom.'

'I'll do that but we really need to confirm Mr. Longbottom's home life before having a talk with Severus because Ms. Granger says its the hardest in his class. I know I'm strict but still...do I have such an effect on him? Do I really sound like his relatives when he cringes at me?' she choked sadly.

'Maybe a reminder my dear...you sound different from Augusta and I know the both of you for years.' said Albus reassuringly.

xxx

Halfway into November...before Quidditch Season starts with a traditional Gryffindor VS Slytherin matches...

'Well, how's he?' Draco asked Hermione at the library. Hermione sighed.

'I'm working on it. He's too painfully shy and acts as if I'd bite his head off...it might take me the rest of the school year but I'll try my best.' said Hermione wryly before crossing her arms over her chest with a smirk. 'This is one tough project but that's what makes it interesting no?'

'Starting slowly really is a pain but right now, you're the closest to him as you're in the same house.' Draco sighed. 'You have to work for it before we do the rest after you bring him to us. You need his trust first before dumping us on him and overwhelm him to heck.'

'I'm not that cruel...' Hermione sweatdropped.

'At any rate, right now we should not be seen together alone.' said Draco wryly. 'It's Quidditch Season and things between our houses tend to get fired up like wildfire. If you'll ever talk to me, at least be with one of the Hufflepuff girls, particularly Kahlua. Nobody's dumb enough to try something against her. Our house rivalries in Quidditch go on insane levels, so wait until this month is over.'

'I'll be hearing about that later then...that's a story I'd definitely want to hear.'

xxx

First Quidditch Match of the year, Gryffindor VS Slytherin...

Everyone was on the stands with two other houses supporting Gryffindor and Slytherin is on its own. Kahlua noted how much Slytherin was disliked. 50 percent not their fault and 50 percent their fault. She sighed. Then again, Draco is just one different Slytherin, he can't speak for the house as a whole.

The teams mounted their brooms with the Snitch released first, then the Bludgers...before finally, the Quaffle that starts the game.

Madam Hooch gave a loud blast on her silver whistle after releasing the Quaffle. Fifteen brooms rose up, high, high into the air. They were off. 'And the Quaffle is taken immediately by Angelina Johnson of Gryffindor-what an excellent Chaser that girl is, and rather attractive, too-'

'JORDAN!'

'Sorry, Professor.' The Weasley twins' friend, Lee Jordan, was doing the commentary for the match, closely watched by Professor McGonagall. 'And she's really belting along up there, a neat pass to Alicia Spinnet, a good find of Oliver Wood's, last year only a reserve-back to Johnson and-no, the Slytherins have taken the Quaffle, Slytherin Captain Marcus Flint gains the Quaffle and off he goes-Flint flying like an eagle up there-he's going to sc- no, stopped by an excellent move by Gryffindor Keeper Wood and the Gryffindors take the Quaffle-that's Chaser Katie Bell of Gryffindor there, nice dive around Flint, off up the field and - OUCH - that must have hurt, hit in the back of the head by a Bludger - Quaffle taken by the Slytherins-that's Adrian Pucey speeding off toward the goal posts, but he's blocked by a second Bludger-sent his way by Fred or George Weasley, can't tell which-nice play by the Gryffindor Beater, anyway, and Johnson back in possession of the Quaffle, a clear field ahead and off she goes-she's really flying-dodges a speeding Bludger-the goal posts are ahead-come on, now, Angelina-Keeper Bletchley dives-misses-GRYFFINDORS SCORE!' Gryffindor cheers filled the cold air, with howls and moans from the Slytherins.

'Slytherin in possession,' Lee Jordan was saying, 'Chaser Pucey ducks two Bludgers, two Weasleys, and Chaser Bell, and speeds toward the-wait a moment - was that the Snitch?' A murmur ran through the crowd as Adrian Pucey dropped the Quaffle, too busy looking over his shoulder at the flash of gold that had passed his left ear. Gryffindor Seeker William Cauldwell saw it. He dived downward after the streak of gold. Slytherin Seeker Terence Higgs had seen it, too. Neck and neck they hurtled toward the Snitch-all the Chasers seemed to have forgotten what they were supposed to be doing as they hung in midair to watch. Higgs was faster as he had a better broom-he could see the little round ball, wings fluttering, darting up ahead and-WHAM!

A roar of rage echoed from the Slytherins below-The Weasley twins sent two Bludgers at Higgs. He dodged one, he didn't on the other. Cauldwell took the opportunity but the Snitch disappeared from sight again. Down in the stands, Dean Thomas was yelling, 'Send him off, ref! Red card!'

'What are you talking about, Dean?' said Ron Weasley.

'Red card!' said Dean furiously. 'In soccer you get shown the red card and you're out of the game!'

'But this isn't soccer, Dean,' Ron reminded him.

'So-after that obvious and disgusting bit of cheating...'

'Jordan!' growled Professor McGonagall.

'I mean, after that open and revolting foul-' Jordan added quickly,

'Jordan, I'm warning you-'

'All right, all right. The twins nearly killed Higgs, which could happen to anyone, and we continue play, Gryffindor still in possession.'

'Slytherin in possession-Flint with the Quaffle-passes Spinnet-passes Bell-hit hard in the face by a Bludger, hope it broke his nose - only joking, Professor-Slytherins score-'

The Gryffindors were booing. Cauldwell was speeding toward the ground so hard, reaching for the snitch but he fell off his broom and gasped, before having a nasty fall on the ground and thankfully, he was only ten feet up. When the crowd saw him clap his hand to his mouth as though he was about to be sick-he coughed up-and something gold fell into his hand.

'I've got the Snitch!' he shouted, waving it above his head, and the game ended in complete confusion.

'He didn't catch it, he nearly swallowed it,' Flint was still howling twenty minutes later, but it made no difference-because the only rule was catching the Snitch and no legal methods mentioned how anyway. And Lee Jordan was still happily shouting the results-Gryffindor had won by one hundred and seventy points to sixty.


	7. Joining the Mansion

Joining the Mansion

Christmas was coming. One morning in mid-December, Hogwarts woke to find itself covered in several feet of snow. The lake froze solid and the Weasley twins were punished for bewitching several snowballs so that they followed Quirrell around, bouncing off the back of his turban. The few owls that managed to battle their way through the stormy sky to deliver mail had to be nursed back to health by Hagrid before they could fly off again.

No one could wait for the holidays to start. In Hufflepuff dorms, their fires are heated to the max but upon stepping out the corridors, it's a frigging FREEZER of nearly 10 degrees since they're up north. Kahlua had created another spell designed for Winter: Pallium Teporis-latin for Cloak of Warmth. She's glowing a golden light covering her body like a shroud and she taught this charm to her fellow puffs by literally taping a large paper regarding the spell on the dormitory door. She had taught Draco and Hermione in advance, and sent a note about it to the Ministry that she made one again. One letter to the Committee on Experimental Charms and one to the Daily Prophet before snowfall.

**_New Charm to Combat Winter Cold!_**  
**_Kahlua Potter has a new Charm to Teach!_**  
_**By:** Rita Skeeter_

_Ms. Potter sent us mail regarding a new spell she's made since_  
_Lux Globos. A spell to bash away winter chills if we ever run out_  
_of firewood in our fireplaces. The spell, classified as a Charm, is_  
_called Pallium Teporis(PA-lli-UHM TE-poris). The mechanics of this_  
_new charm is that you create a shroud of magical glowing light_  
_that has the colors of fire that will emit comfortable warmth._

_Of course, it's safe-it will not burn you or what you touch. And how_  
_long it lasts depends on how much power put into the spell. She_  
_said she's already sent a letter to the Committee of Experimental_  
_Charms so they'll judge to see and determine its difficulty level._  
_Lux Globos is a high-level charm, what about this one, this author wonders...?_  
_We'll wait for the verdict from the CoEC!  
PS: the long version of the mechanics is on Pg 2._

Well, Kahlua had to go to the Ministry for a couple of days for a demonstration for them to see before they try it out themselves before she got paid for her spell. Since it's not as difficult as Lux Globos, it was a 650 Galleon spell.

...It's a 4th Year Level Spell...much to the dismay of the younger kids.

That didn't stop others from trying, however. By the time Christmas Holidays came, Kahlua signed up for home, when Professor Sprout started asking who'll go home and who'll stay in school. Upon reaching King's Cross some days later, it was Sebastian who picked her up.

'Sebastian!' Kahlua chimed as she glomped her butler.

'Welcome back, young miss.' Sebastian smiled as he did not budge from the jump-glomp on him as his charge looked up at him. 'We'd better get home lest that spell wears off.' he said. 'How long will it last?'

'20 more minutes...there's no heating on the darn train and I was casting every two hours in the trip.' Kahlua sighed as Sebastian took her trunk. 'What a pain...' on the ride home, the house was decorated in Christmas cheer to her delight and glomped Sebastian again, happy that the house isn't so dull for Holidays.

'Oh yes, young miss,' said Sebastian. 'I received a letter from Sirius Black. He and Remus Lupin will be at the children's playground tomorrow near St. Anne's Kindergarten to be picked up by me as I'm keeping our location a secret for our safety.' he said. 'You can never be too sure. I'll go get them at 9:30.'

'I suppose...you tested them already right?' Kahlua asked him as they went to her room with Sebastian carrying her trunk over his left shoulder.

'Yes. They're quite to my satisfactions which is why I'm allowing them to stay here as permanent residents. I am not allowing weaklings with the exception of Mrs. Perkins in the mansion.'

xxx

Elsewhere, in a hotel room in Leaky Cauldron...

'This is it Moony, we're finally going to get to live with Kahlua...I wonder what's she like growing up under that dude?' Sirius muttered darkly.

'She seems to have grown up intelligent since she's making advanced charms to sell to the public, so her career would be aspiring Spell-Crafting Prodigy.' said Remus.

'But what I don't get is why do we have to do a number of conditions just to see her?' Sirius scowled. 'Even worse, Lily approved before she died! We could have raised her as a baby!'

'Siri, because of HIM, they were paid a personal visit, remember?' Remus reminded him mournfully as Sirius scowled. Yeah, he knew that veeery well and wanted to kill him personally but Azkaban got to him first. 'Kahlua has a target painted on her head because of his betrayal and for some reason, Albus won't tell us yet why the Longbottoms and Potters are one and two on his personal hit list. Sebastian must feel that to those who want to visit Kahlua, they must be strong. And given how Sebastian is when he fought us without magic, he's one strong muggle. Probably the strongest muggle we know. Has Albus' letter arrived yet?'

'Not yet but anytime now...I sent a letter after that psycho left us.'

3 hours later, mail arrived and the two surviving Marauders were eager to read.

_Sirius, Remus,_

_It's finally good to hear from you after ten long years and two months since that day._  
_And I suppose I can understand the conditions to visit Ms. Potter's house when I saw_  
_what you had to do in your letter. Shocking...the training you have is much harsher_  
_than the training of the muggles' finest military and intelligence forces. And as much_  
_as I want you to tell me where she lives, I would rather not and anger her guardian_  
_who certainly can easily kill me. Afterall, a speedy opponent can dodge your best spells._

_I shall tell you about Kahlua in her first year here. Kahlua is sorted into the Hufflepuff_  
_House with a rather...unlikely friendship. She is good friends with Draco Malfoy-_

'WHAT?!' Sirius gasped in horror,

'Padfoot, shut up!' Remus grunted.

_-because he is the first child her age she met in Diagon Alley and at the time, there is_  
_no 'foot-in-pure mouth-disease' from the lad, considering who his parents are. They_  
_quickly became good friends and Kahlua inherited a particular trait of her mother's: The_  
_ability to see the good in anyone with a subconscious need to bring it out. Right now, she_  
_managed to turn a child of a Blood Purist into a good young man who greatly excels in his_  
_studies and magic practice, instead of throwing his name around for power and position._  
_And with his friendship, no Howlers from Lucius nor Narcissa came. Severus said he had_  
_explained to the couple that their friendship does him well, as he is popular and well-liked_  
_among the Muggleborns, while half-and-pure children who knew each other were trying_  
_to give him the Benefit of the Doubt._

_Although the ones who protested at this, were the friends Draco has since childhood...and_  
_when Ms. Parkinson tried to bring him back to 'the right sort', Kahlua punched the wall with_  
_sheer physical power that bore a hole in the wall that threatened and spooked Ms. Parkinson_  
_despite the smile on Kahlua's face. She thus has a reputation in school and everyone calls_  
_her the 'Badger Amazoness' due to her strength. Good thing for Hogwarts' self-repair spells..._  
_And later into the year, Ms. Potter is good friends with her female housemates, one girl from_  
_Gryffindor since the Halloween Troll Incident, and Draco Malfoy, the lone boy in their group._

_They seem to work together to have either EEs or Os in their grades as their goal and become_  
_the most skilled in their year level. Young Malfoy even ahem, helped with the makeover of the_  
_other girls and once cleaned up nicely, no boy could look away...never knew he has talent in_  
_that area. Then again, considering Narcissa, he may have inherited her vanity. And Ms. Granger_  
_has a rather shocking and disturbing theory by observing Mr. Longbottom since she wanted him_  
_to join their group. Due to the fact that he has low magic since birth, the way he behaved in the_  
_school was like someone from an abusive home. No physical abuse but even worse. Verbal,_  
_Emotional, Mental and Psychological Abuse that he is his own Self-Granting Prophecy. We will_  
_try to coax the truth out of him by simple chat without getting directly to the point so for now,_  
_no letters or Howlers until we confirm the truth. The other children are disturbed by this and are_  
_worried so they're slowly working on it because Mr. Longbottom is too shy with no ounce of_  
_self-confidence. They feel that if they got him up to snuff, he too, would be as good as they are._

_Also, outside their group, its clear that Kahlua and Mr. Malfoy are very good friends. They exchange_  
_banter and on a friendly competition to see who'll be the most-liked student by the time they_  
_graduate. Loser does what winner wants. So who knows who will win after seven years of trying _  
_to out-popular the other? But in the end, it appears that her main goal is to make an apple fall far_  
_from the tree. Wish her luck._

_Albus_

'So that's what's been happening...' Sirius mused. \But still, for her to see something in a Malfoy, I'm shocked.' he whistled.

'Just remember, Sebastian is no one we should cross.' said Remus. 'There's something about him that made my wolf so scared of him silly and I don't know why.'

'Eh? Really?'

'Really. I haven't told you this because it was a theory at first but when we met him for the first time, I didn't turn into a werewolf the next night, remember? Usually you accompany me on Werewolf nights but it didn't come out till the next full moon!' he said. 'Maybe there's something about him that restrains the symptoms of Lycanthropy?'

'Maybe he's no ordinary muggle...' Sirius mused thoughtfully. 'Maybe he has some weird power he didn't know he has and it's dang useful-and since we're living in Kahlua's house from now on, say bye-bye to full moons, Moony!' he cried in delight. 'As long as you're near that guy, you're 100% normal!'

Remus gasped as he thought of the mere possibilities.

Maybe, just maybe...

xxx

Next day...

At St. Anne Kindergarten, the playground after breakfast...Sirius and Remus waited one good hour there. They spent their time watching the kids play while playing chess on a bench, until a black, shiny Mercedes-Benz S-Class came with just as shiny platinum accents arrived. And out stepped Sebastian. 'Here he is!'

'Have you been waiting long, Sir Black? Sir Lupin?' Sebastian smiled good-naturedly as in Remus' mind, his inner-wolf cowered back to the recesses of his mind in sheer pure fear. 'I have arrived on the dot.'

'We're just a bit early, is all.' said Sirius. 'Where we're staying at is a bit far from this place.'

'I see. Then hop on in.' said Sebastian. 'Oh, and fasten your seatbelts because we are definitely speeding.'

'Somehow, I got a baaaad feeling about this...' Sirius croaked as upon getting in, they fastened their seatbelts, and when Sebastian got the car revving...they were practically going at the rate of zooming speeds and the car was even doing crazy stunts just to avoid obstacles! Everything else is a blur, they couldn't properly see where they were going. Upon stopping at the gates...

'You may get off from here.' said Sebastian as his very sick-looking passengers staggered out and his amusement was at their expense as they threw up and looked very ill. 'I should get parking...' and he went off...on normal-standard speeds this time.

'W-whoever gave that guy a driving license...should be shot.' Sirius choked out in tears as they threw up everything they had for breakfast. Poor guys.


End file.
